New York City has scored a short-term legal win in its clash with President Donald Trump over the city's congestion pricing plan for Manhattan, with U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issuing an order Tuesday that temporarily halts the federal government's efforts.
The Trump administration had attempted to block the plan by threatening to cut off federal funding and withhold approvals for key transportation projects unless the toll program was scrapped.
However, Judge Liman sided with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in a ruling issued Tuesday afternoon.
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According to Bloomberg, the ruling "means the program — designed to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise money to modernize the city’s transit system — will almost certainly continue as the legal battle proceeds," the report said.
"It helps reduce uncertainty over how the nation’s largest public transportation system will pay to modernize a more than 100-year-old network," the outlet reported.
The City reported that shortly before issuing the order, the judge said: “Is there going to be rule of law in this country so that people launch public works projects without the rug being pulled out from under their feet?”
In February, the MTA filed a lawsuit against Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration following Trump’s directive to halt toll collection below Manhattan’s 60th Street starting in March.
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Despite several missed shutdown deadlines, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and MTA leaders have insisted the congestion pricing plan remains active unless a judge intervenes.
Meanwhile, the Tuesday ruling sparked strong reactions from users across social media platforms.
Florida-based journalist Peter Schorsch wrote: "I am just a tourist to NYC, but this [congestion pricing] program has really made Midtown more hospitable, more walkable."
"Sorry, Sean — New York isn't going back to terrible traffic," wrote the account Transportation Alternatives.
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"Leave NYC congestion tax alone. It’s working! @realDonaldTrump," wrote a user.
Earlier on Tuesday, Office of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement on X that Trump and Duffy were attempting to "blackmail NYC into ending the popular congestion pricing program."