President Donald Trump has praised his administration’s efforts to halt federal approval of New York’s unpopular “congestion tax.”
The congestion tax is a toll on automobiles that was implemented one month ago.
The New York Post reports that the toll seeks to raise funds for the region’s obsolete mass transport system.
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, wrote a letter to New York’s Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul stating that the federal government has control over roadways that lead to Manhattan.
Duffy noted that the additional tolls posed an unjust hardship for vehicles who were traveling outside of the city.
Because the scheme needed federal permission, Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the approval.
The prospective elimination of congestion charging was something that President Trump hailed as a triumph.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump celebrated the move.
“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD,” Trump wrote.
“Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED.
“LONG LIVE THE KING!”
Within the framework of the system, the majority of vehicles that entered Manhattan’s central business area were required to pay a peak cost of $9.
The peak times are between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends.
This fee was applicable from 60th Street all the way down to the southern edge of the Financial area.
The Trump admin’s effort was not welcomed by the New York governor, however.
The governor’s office has historically gained from increased collections on toll roads.
During a news conference held not long after the announcement by the Trump administration, Hochul firmly stated that the toll cameras would continue to operate.
The Democrat governor also criticized Trump.
Speaking to reporters at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, Hochul said:
“President Donald Trump tweeted, ‘Long live the king.’
“I’m here to say New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years.
“And we sure as hell are not going to start now.”
According to Duffy, the tolls, which were imposed on traffic heading to Manhattan, were “backward and unfair.”
“New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” he said in a statement.
“Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes.”
Others in power outside of Manhattan have applauded the Trump administration’s move to terminate the program.
Critics argue that the congestion pricing program unfairly taxes drivers.
One of the critics of the scheme is Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).
“Today is a huge win for Jersey families, their wallets, and the environment,” Gottheimer said in a statement.
“From Day One, when we first started this fight, we knew that the Congestion Tax was just a giant cash grab for New York and the MTA — all on the backs of hardworking Jersey families.”
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