Summary
Trump revoked federal approval for New York City’s congestion pricing plan, which aimed to reduce traffic and fund public transit.
Trump celebrated on social media, declaring, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD… LONG LIVE THE KING!” In response, Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” and confirmed the MTA is pursuing legal action.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy claimed the tolls harmed working-class Americans. The $9 fee had improved traffic flow, but enforcement will now be halted.
So far he has shown little to no actual means to enforce the majority of these orders. Unless he sends in the military for paper straws and congestion pricing, what can he realistically do?
Be petty and withhold sending federal funds which Congress already allocated for this very thing. Republicans in Congress have already shown they’re his bitch, and won’t do anything about him taking away their power of the purse.
The infrastructure is already built. What funding is needed? It’s just revenue collection at this point.
I’d imagine he’d withhold all federal highway funds for NYS as long as the congestion pricing is in place.
This kinda shit is going to be what ultimately collapses the United States. Once funding starts getting withheld to blue states, they’re going to start wondering why they’re paying the feds so much money.
This could all play out in a few ways. I wonder if blue states will finally reach a point where they instruct their citizens and registered corporations to stop payment of federal income tax, sparking a civil war.
The states can’t protect you from the feds, all they can do is not help the feds.
If you don’t pay your taxes, they can still come after you.
They can come after you. It will be much harder to come after 20 million of us
There’s always a tunnel in progress somewhere that needs federal funding …. There’s huge Amtrak improvements going on that will help the entire northeast
NY sends more money to the federal government than they receive. If they stop sending those funds, it’s a net positive for the State, currently.
We do have a huge federal deficit: everyone gets more than they sent these days. Only five fiscally responsible states left (and they’re not red).
The article has a line item for transit. While it’s not the highest, there’s a good chance of it being higher than anywhere else. Depending on what you’re counting there are huge investments unblocking the tracks into and out of nyc - especially beneficial to us Acela riders
I’m not sure if that’s true anymore: https://www.osc.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/04/ny-received-more-washington-it-sent-due-federal-relief
I guess it depends on what has changed in those last 3 years. I’m willing to bet there’s a decent chunk related to things like COVID.
I have my doubts that money would continue to flow anyway.
Especially considering they’ve already pulled money back illegally.
Sounds like a win win.
He’s that shitty kid at the playground that makes shit up mid-game. “Nuh uh, I have a mirror vest that makes me immune to lasers!”
I dare this fat fuck to stick his head out in public again. Ideally he will and it will be the last time I ever have to see his stupid face intact.
He’ll send Elon with his dogs to investigate for efficiency issues, and withdraw funds, or send his DOJ after anyone who stands up to him.
That was the whole point of this past month of news blast after news blast of the damage they are willing to do.
He is cowing everyone into submission and its being very effective.
We’ll see who wins in this „nation of laws”.
Spoiler, it is the person that governs by decrees and gets away with blatant crimes.
Good. Should be able to get an injunction and keep it going no matter how long these assclowns want to try and draw things out in court.
As a New Yorker, herr Trump has never set foot on public transportation. The best he knows of it is what he’s seen in movies and TV that portray it in the worst light possible, a big public toilet, full of junkies, homeless, and poors. As for taxis and busses, they’re just a transit system for the poor that gets in the way of his private limo, should he deign it necessary to set foot on the ground level of the city amongst the commoners.
HUFFINGTON POST IS LYING and this post should be removed. Congestion pricing IS NOT DEAD just because Trump falsely claims it is!
Huffington Post didn’t make that statement in this article. They quoted Trump as saying that, by referencing his tweet.
They made that statement in the headline.
Ohh got it, you are right.
‘LONG LIVE THE KING’: Donald Trump Gloats After Killing Major NYC Initiative. Trump’s administration is revoking approval for New York City’s congestion pricing plan, which is raising money to upgrade the subway system
I thought republicans were all for small federal government, states rights blahblahblah.
“Small government” means “one white guy we call king”.
Those are just euphemisms for slavery, racism, exploitation, etc. Always have been.
I’ve seen a number of articles about this today, but nothing clarifying why this a federal thing. Anyone have context?
This is the full letter sent by Duffy. Basically since federal money was used to build the roads, they can’t be tolled without federal approval.
The Federal-Aid Road Act of 1916, Congress has required that roads constructed with Federal-aid highway funds be free from tolls of all kinds, subject to limited exceptions.
In 1991, Congress created a limited exception to the tolling prohibition for “congestion pricing pilot projects” implemented by States, local governments, or public authorities.
The Trump administration is arguing that the tolls are mainly there to benefit the MTA, and there wasn’t a need to controlling congestion, even though that’s what’s happening. Anyone who says there isn’t a need to control congestion has never driven in lower manhattan without a motorcade.
If it was an act of Congress that created the exception for congestion pricing, then can’t New York just tell trump to “pound sand”? As in “come back when Congress has rejected congestion pricing”.
From what I read they filed a lawsuit within the hour of receiving the letter and will continue to collect tolls until a judge tells them not to.
Very glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing that info.
Sort of a tangential example to how this kind of law works
Interstate highways (the ones that start with an I in front of the number) receive federal funding for upkeep.
As part of that, they generally can’t be toll roads, and rest stops can’t be commercialized- so no stores, restaurants, or gas stations (the idea being that the highways are supposed to be for everyone to use and rest stops shouldn’t be competing with local businesses)
There are exceptions for cases like the PA turnpike (I76) which was originally built before the interstate highway act and then later integrated into the interstate system. So they’re grandfathered in so they have tolls and commercialized rest stops because they already had them. (The tolls were also supposed to be temporary until the construction was paid off but that’s neither here nor there)
All those toll roads everywhere are exceptions? It seems like you’d have an additional argument against capricious enforcement. Either say federally funded roads can’t have tolls or don’t - it shouldn’t be valid to enforce only the specific cases where you have a personal interest
Presumably not all roads were built with federal funds, can’t they just block off those ones and continue congestion pricing for the remainder?
Although they’d need to get a mayor who can’t be blackmailed first.
I don’t know for sure, but I assume it is because the tolls would impact interstate commerce which puts it under federal jurisdiction.
The bridges and tunnels into and out of manhattan were already tolled and this doesn’t change that.
These tolls are within manhattan, although I don’t know if the plate readers are near a border
I did a little more research and I think that the Federal Highway Administration has to approve the tolls. This is from the fhwa.dot.gov website.
Under Title 23 of the United States Code (Highways), there is a general prohibition on the imposition of tolls on Federal-aid highways. However, Title 23 and other statutes have also carved out certain exceptions to this general prohibition through special programs. These programs allow tolling to generate revenue to support highway construction activities and/or enable the use of road pricing for congestion management. If Federal funds have been used or will be used on the highway, then the public authority responsible for the facility must qualify for toll authority under one of these Federal toll programs.
If the tolls are on any roads that used, or will use, federal funds, then FHWA has to approve them. The existing tolls you mentioned are still approved, but the new tolls for congestion management are not now (thanks to Trump).
Found it: DOT gave final approval after extensive environmental analysis, and apparently is now claiming insufficient environmental analysis. I guess that demonstrates that they do need to give approval but you can’t just change your mind on a whim
after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review — and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program — USDOT would seek to totally reverse course,” MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said
