The war of words between the White House and Albany's Executive Mansion has felt like a game of chicken since the start of the year. The third deadline from the Trump administration to shut down New York City's congestion pricing zone passed on Wednesday, and Governor Kathy Hochul didn't blink. The threats from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have been empty so far. However, federal officials are still trumpeting a doomsday scenario where all the funding from Washington to the Big Apple is cut off.
Governor Kathy Hochul is considering outright telling the Trump administration that congestion pricing will remain in place unless there's a court order to stop, according to the New York Daily News. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the agency administering the program, is currently in the middle of a federal court case against the USDOT. The White House has been less than pleased with the performance of its lawyers. The divide became public when three Assistant U.S. Attorneys accidentally released an 11-page document outlining their doubts that federal courts would agree with Duffy's view on the congestion zone's legality.
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