President Donald Trump has reignited his push to abolish the New York City vehicle congestion fee, which was previously blocked by a federal judge.
Trump Calls Manhattan ‘Ghost Town’
The president announced via Truth Social on Monday that he would urge Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to reconsider scrapping the New York City vehicle congestion fee. This move comes after a federal judge temporarily halted a previous attempt to end the charge more than five months ago.
Trump criticized the congestion pricing, stating that it is detrimental to New York City. He also highlighted the adverse impact on the city’s traffic and economy.
“New York City is getting KILLED by her ridiculous CONGESTION PRICING, where people have to pay a fortune to come into Manhattan,” Trump said, taking on Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“The place is a ghost town,” he added.
NYC Congestion Toll Sparks Debate
However, Duffy described the toll as a financial burden on working-class Americans and small business owners. In April, he had earlier cautioned New York Gov. Hochul that the Transportation Department might delay environmental approvals or halt project funding unless the state abandoned its congestion pricing plan.
Despite the criticism, Gov. Hochul, in July, praised the success of the congestion pricing scheme. She highlighted a decrease in traffic, an increase in business, and significant investments in transit improvement after six months of its implementation.
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