Feds Accidentally Publish Strategy to Kill NYC Congestion Pricing

A mistakenly published internal memo has revealed significant doubts among federal government attorneys about the legal strategy to halt New York City's congestion pricing program. The memo, briefly posted on a court docket, shows that lawyers for the Department of Transportation do not believe current arguments to revoke federal approval for the program are likely to succeed in court, particularly the claim that NYC's plan is not a legitimate 'value pricing' pilot. Instead, the attorneys suggested the DOT could argue for rescinding approval based on changed agency priorities through other regulations, though they acknowledged that this approach is also weak since no federal funds were used to launch the program. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the Trump administration have threatened to withhold billions in federal funding from New York unless the city terminates the congestion pricing by May 21. Despite these threats, New York officials have indicated no intention to end the program, which is estimated to generate substantial revenue for public transit improvements. The legal dispute underscores the broader tensions between federal and local priorities regarding urban transportation policy.