NEW YORK, Feb 20, (V7N) – The US government on Wednesday moved to halt New York's newly implemented congestion pricing plan, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the nation aimed at reducing traffic and funding public transport through tolls on Manhattan drivers. President Donald Trump had previously vowed to eliminate the program.

The plan, which imposed a $9 daytime toll for vehicles entering areas of Manhattan south of Central Park, was introduced in early January, just before the Republican president took office.

In a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy formally withdrew federal approval for the pilot program, triggering immediate backlash from state and city officials.

“New York State's congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy said in a statement. He criticized the program for prioritizing public transit funding over road infrastructure and argued that it would harm small businesses and commercial traffic in the nation’s largest city.

President Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, posting: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!”

Hochul responded swiftly, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. We'll see you in court.” At a press conference, she denounced the move as “an attack on our sovereignty and independence from Washington.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) wasted no time in filing a lawsuit to challenge the federal order. “The MTA filed papers in federal court to ensure that the highly successful program – which has already dramatically reduced congestion and improved travel times – will continue despite this baseless effort to undo its benefits,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in a statement.

Prior to the congestion pricing program, approximately 700,000 vehicles entered the designated zone daily, leading to severe gridlock, with average speeds dropping to just seven miles per hour (11 kilometers per hour), according to officials.

The initiative also aimed to curb air pollution, an aspect that prompted environmental groups to condemn the Trump administration’s decision. Evergreen Action, an environmental advocacy group, called the move a ‘reckless, illegal dismantling of critical climate and economic policies.’

While cities like London and Stockholm have long operated similar driver-tolling programs, the legal and political battles surrounding New York’s version underscore the challenges of implementing such measures in a nation where car culture remains dominant.

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