In a stunning rebuke to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the Trump administration has decided to pull the plug on the city’s contentious congestion pricing toll, branding it as “backwards and unfair.” The decision, announced in a dramatic letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, marks the end of a policy that has been a thorn in the side of New Yorkers since its inception. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is set to officially terminate the approval of the controversial program, which was initially greenlit under the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP) on November 21. The toll, a $9 surcharge for drivers venturing into Manhattan below 60th Street, was implemented in January amidst a storm of public outcry and logistical chaos. “New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy declared in his letter, highlighting the absence of a toll-free alternative route for commuters who have long paid for the city’s infrastructure through their taxes. The policy, according to Duffy, not only unfairly burdens those who can least afford it but also contravenes the core principles of federal highway assistance by using toll revenues not for congestion relief but for transit system funding. “Every American should be able to access New York City regardless of their economic means. It shouldn’t be reserved for an elite few,” he emphasized. The letter from Duffy further castigates the toll for its role in making New York City the priciest place to drive in the U.S., suggesting that the rate was set more as a revenue generator for the MTA than a genuine effort to manage traffic flow. “The pilot runs contrary to the purpose of the VPPP, which is to impose tolls for congestion reduction — not transit revenue generation,” the letter states. Governor Hochul, who has faced significant backlash since the toll’s introduction, was previously optimistic about the scheme’s potential benefits. In a press conference last month, she spoke of the wealth of data expected from the pilot, which was intended to fund a massive $15 billion capital improvement plan for the city’s transportation network. However, with the federal approval now revoked, the future of these plans hangs in uncertainty. Public reaction has been swift and severe, with New York drivers employing various methods to evade the toll, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the policy. The Department of Transportation has promised an “orderly termination” of the tolls, though specifics on when the collection would cease remain unclear.