New York Governor Kathy Hochul is standing firm against President Donald Trump’s decision to end NYC’s congestion pricing program. In a recent appearance on Morning Joe, Hochul revealed details of her closed-door meeting with Trump at the White House, where she demanded $15 billion to compensate for the financial shortfall if the program is rescinded.
Hochul’s Demand: A Fight for Subway Funding
“If you’re going to take this away, you have to give me $15 billion to invest in the subway system,” Hochul asserted, emphasizing that without congestion pricing, crucial repairs, new buses, and station upgrades would be at risk.
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The state had planned to leverage congestion pricing revenue to secure additional funding, but the federal government’s intervention threatens this financial strategy.
Federal Halt on Congestion Pricing
Federal Highway Administration Executive Director Gloria Shepherd issued a directive to New York officials, stating that toll collections must cease by March 21. This follows a letter from US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, formally announcing the federal government’s decision to block the program.
Legal Battle on the Horizon
Hochul, a Democrat, remains determined to fight the decision. “We have to fight to keep it going, and that’s why I’m taking it to the courts. I’ll take it wherever I can,” she declared. Rejecting the call for an “orderly cessation” by March, Hochul instead promised an “orderly resistance” to the ban.
As the battle over NYC’s congestion pricing intensifies, the future of the city’s subway system hangs in the balance, with billions in potential funding at stake.
