"MTA et al v. Duffy et al The big enchilada, the main event, the linchpin in this whole damn thing. When U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to New York demanding that it cease tolling drivers headed into lower Manhattan, Gov. Hochul declared, "The cameras are staying on," and the MTA sued in federal court [ PDF]. In this case, as in many others, the federal government has been playing the role of Keystone Kops, stepping on one rake after another."
"Duffy sent another pair of threatening letters that did nothing but strengthen the state's resolve to keep the toll going, and federal lawyers accidentally uploaded an entire memo laying out how the U.S. DOT's case is built on a foundation of sand. The federal argument at this point is that whenever the federal government makes a contract with anyone, there is an unwritten rule allowing the federal agency to void said contract on a whim."
Congestion pricing began one year ago and multiple lawsuits continue to challenge the program. In 2024 opponents tried to stop the tolls while supporters sued to force Gov. Hochul to implement congestion pricing after her pause. Courts ruled that congestion pricing did not violate the Constitution or the National Environmental Protection Act. In 2025 the Trump administration attempted to block the toll, prompting the MTA and New York State to sue. The MTA v. Duffy case remains central. Federal officials sent threatening letters and accidentally uploaded a memo undermining their position. U.S. DOT argues a broad right to void federal contracts; Judge Lewis Liman has been skeptical of constitutional and due-diligence claims.
Read at Streetsblog
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