On April 17, Following the dismissal of all lawsuits challenging New York City’s congestion pricing program by U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman, the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) said it would not give up the fight.
In a statement released April 17, TANY decried the ruling, describing the pricing plan as “punitive and unpopular.” The association cited a Marist Poll that revealed opposition to the program across all regions of the state, with nearly six in 10 New Yorkers opposing the controversial framework.
“Despite Hon. Judge Liman’s ruling, TANY will not back down in our fight to protect New York’s essential trucking industry and reduce costs for New Yorkers,” said Kendra Hems, president of TANY.
While the association is not against the concept of congestion pricing, she said, the current plan unfairly and unlawfully targets trucking operators by charging them at a higher rate and on a per-trip rather than a per-day basis.
“Unlike passenger vehicles, there is no viable alternative option for trucks that must operate in the congestion zone to deliver essential goods to residents, businesses, health care facilities and more,” she said. “Amidst lingering economic uncertainty, further disruptions to New York’s supply chain will harm New Yorkers, especially those across the five boroughs already struggling to make ends meet.”
Federal opposition to NYC’s pricing program
President Donald Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, rescinded federal approval for NYC’s congestion pricing program in February. Initially NYC was given a deadline of March 21 to halt the tolling program.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded that New York would fight the federal decree, saying, “We will not be steamrolled.”
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority challenged Duffy’s decision in federal court, and the deadline was subsequently pushed back by a month, to April 20. The USDOT insisted it would not back off the deadline even as the court case played out, saying it would “not hesitate to use every tool at our disposal” if the state failed to stop the toll.
In a March 20 post on X, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy addressed Hochul. “Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable,” he wrote. “Just as your high tolls and no free road option are a slap in the face to hard working Americans, your refusal to approve two vital pipelines that will lower fuel costs by 50% are against the public’s best interests.
“Your unlawful pricing scheme charges working-class citizens to use roads their federal tax dollars already paid to build,” he continued. “We will provide New York with a 30-day extension as discussions continue. Know that the billions of dollars the federal government sends to New York are not a blank check. Continued noncompliance will not be taken lightly.”
New York disregards April 20 deadline
On Sunday, April 20, the Associated Press reported the city’s $9 congestion toll on most drivers entering the busiest part of Manhattan remained in effect, despite an Easter deadline from the Trump administration to halt the first-in-the-nation fee.
Both Kathy Hochul’s office and the MTA confirmed Sunday that its system of traffic cameras continues to collect the fee assessed on most cars entering the borough below Central Park.
“The cameras are staying on,” said Avi Small, Hochul’s spokesperson, in an email to the Associated Press.
“In case there were any doubts, MTA, State and City reaffirmed in a court filing that congestion pricing is here to stay and that the arguments Secretary Duffy made trying to stop it have zero merit,” John J. McCarthy, the MTA’s chief of policy and external relations, said Sunday.
Spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Transportation didn’t immediately respond to messages from the Associated Press seeking comment Sunday.
“In case there were any doubts, MTA, State and City reaffirmed in a court filing that congestion pricing is here to stay and that the arguments Secretary Duffy made trying to stop it have zero merit,” John J. McCarthy, the MTA’s chief of policy and external relations, said Sunday.
Spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Transportation didn’t immediately respond to messages from the Associated Press seeking comment Sunday.
What is congesting pricing?
According to proponents, NYC’s congestion pricing, which went into effect Jan. 5, 2025, is meant to not only reduce traffic jams but also raise billions of dollars in revenue for the city’s subways, commuter trains and public buses.
Trump, whose namesake Trump Tower and other properties are within the congestion zone, had vowed to kill the plan as soon as he took office. The transit authority, meanwhile, has continued to tout the benefits of the tolling program, saying fewer vehicles are now coming into the heart of Manhattan.
About 560,000 vehicles per day entered the congestion zone in March 2025, a 13% drop from the roughly 640,000 the MTA projects would have driven through the area without the tolling scheme, according to data the agency released earlier this month.
The agency has previously said it’s on track to meet the $500 million in revenue initially projected this year from congestion pricing. The toll varies depending on the type of vehicle and time of day, and comes on top of tolls drivers already pay to cross bridges and tunnels into Manhattan.
Other big cities around the world, including London and Stockholm, have similar congestion pricing schemes.
TANY ‘prepared to fight’
Hems says TANY is willing to work toward a fair solution to both reduce traffic and maintain lower costs for New Yorkers.
“Time and time again, our concerns and those of New Yorkers have been brushed to the side,” she said. “As our legal team reviews Judge Liman’s decision, we will continue to evaluate our options. We are prepared to take this fight to the furthest extent possible.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
