WASHINGTON – A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it attempted to shut down Manhattan’s pioneering congestion pricing initiative.
The groundbreaking traffic management system, which became the first of its kind in America when it launched in January 2025, aims to cut down on vehicle congestion while generating revenue for improvements to New York’s deteriorating subway and bus infrastructure. Federal District Judge Lewis Liman delivered the ruling that declared the Trump administration’s February 2025 attempt to shut down the program violated federal law.
Judge Liman had previously issued a temporary restraining order in May that blocked the federal government from withholding funding for New York infrastructure projects as retaliation for the congestion pricing initiative. Tuesday’s judgment reinforces that protection by formally declaring the Transportation Department’s actions unlawful.
