Trump administration moves to end New York City congestion charge

The Trump administration is moving to end New York City's congestion pricing plan, which charges vehicles entering the city in certain areas, then uses tolls to upgrade its aging transit systems.

The Trump administration said the federal government has jurisdiction over highways leading into the city and is revoking its approval of the controversial program over concerns it unfairly burdens working-class residents in the region.

"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD," President Trump said on social media. "Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"

New York, which launched the program just last month, is vowing to fight Trump, arguing the program is helping minimise traffic and travel times. "We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king," New York Gov Kathy Hochul said. "We'll see you in court."

The program poses a $9 (£7.15) toll on vehicles entering Manhattan between 60th Street and the southern tip of the island in the Financial District. The toll is in place on weekdays from 5 am to 9 pm and on weekends from 9 am to 9 pm.

New US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy notified Gov Hochul that he was rescinding approval of the program and would work with officials to halt the tolls.

He called the program a "slap in the face to working class Americans".

"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," he argued. "The toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It's backwards and unfair."

New York officials vowed immediately to fight the Trump administration. Its transit agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), on Wednesday asked a judge to make a declaratory judgement to prevent the administration from moving forward with plans to end the program.

Hochul held up a photo posted by the White House showing Trump as a "king"

Hochul said the tolls will continue, and in a fiery speech at a subway station on Wednesday, said Trump was trying to take away the state's rights as part of his "revenge tour."

"New York hasn't laboured under a king in over 250 years and we sure as hell are not going to start now," Hochul said. "This is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence from Washington. We are a nation of states. This is what we fought for."

Hochul held up a photo posted earlier Wednesday by the official White House account on X, which showed Trump in a faux magazine cover wearing a crown, with the words, "long live the king".

"We are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington," Hochul said. "So this is the fight we're in. It's all about our sovereignty."

She and others at the news conference argued the new program lowered traffic by 9% during the month since it started. It's also cut traffic accidents in half and increased the use of other transportation, such as the city's subway system, she said.

Transportation officials have argued the program would help relieve traffic in the city and help first responders trying to reach emergencies quickly. Money raised from the tolls would help bolster funds for its aging subways, which have garnered headlines over the years for massive underground floods during heavy rains.

New Jersey's governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to Trump last month - the same day the president took office - asking him to assess the program and its impacts to his state.

On Wednesday, he applauded the Trump administration for halting the program, saying in a statement that the program placed an unfair "burden" on commuters who work in the city.

"The current program lines the MTA's pockets at the expense of New Jerseyans," he said.