Current:Home > FinanceNY judge denies governor’s bid to toss suit challenging decision to halt Manhattan congestion fee-LoTradeCoin
NY judge denies governor’s bid to toss suit challenging decision to halt Manhattan congestion fee
View Date:2024-12-23 19:42:10
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge on Friday denied Gov. Kathy Hochul’s request to toss out lawsuits challenging her decision to halt a new congestion fee for drivers into Manhattan.
Judge Arthur Engoron made the decision in a Manhattan court after hearing about two hours of arguments in lawsuits brought by transportation and environmental advocates that support the fee.
The tolling program, which had been set to start June 30, would have imposed on drivers entering the core of Manhattan a toll of about $15, depending on vehicle type, in order to generate about $1 billion annually for transit improvements.
Andrew Celli, a lawyer representing the City Club of New York, one of the local groups that has sued Hochul, said afterward that the judge’s ruling means the lawsuits will move forward and the governor will have to justify her actions in court.
“What the judge did here is he said that congestion pricing will not be delayed by legal technicalities,” he said outside court. “That’s a huge victory for people that care about the law and people that care about congestion pricing.”
Alan Schoenfeld, a lawyer representing Hochul and the state Department of Transportation in the lawsuits, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Groups challenging the governor’s decision, including the Riders Alliance, the Sierra Club and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, argue the Democrat violated the state’s laws and constitution when she indefinitely paused the fee just days before its planned launch.
Hochul at the time cited economic concerns, suggesting it wasn’t the right time to impose a new toll scheme as local businesses and residents were still recovering financially from the coronavirus pandemic.
In court Friday, Celli argued that state lawmakers deliberately did not give the governor’s office authority on when the fee would be imposed when it passed it into law in 2019.
Instead, he argued, the legislature charged the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, which oversees the bridges and tunnels in the New York City area, with making that final decision in order to remove politics from the equation.
“She doesn’t have the discretion,” Celli said.
But Schoenfeld said it was a “demonstrably false” to suggest that state lawmakers intended to put the tunnel and bridge authority “unilaterally” in charge of congestion pricing.
He argued that the law also recognizes the critical role the governor’s office and state DOT play in the process.
Engoron, at points in the hearing, appeared unmoved by Schoenfeld’s arguments.
He also joked at the outset of the hearing that he drove into Manhattan for the hearing and the traffic was terrible.
“Can’t anyone do anything about that?” Engoron said to laughs before launching into the proceedings.
Dror Ladin, a lawyer with Earthjustice, which represented some of the groups challenging Hochul, also argued that the months since the governor’s decision this summer have been damaging.
He says New Yorkers have dealt with more traffic, more negative health and environmental consequences from air pollution and further delays in desperately needed transit system upgrades.
“There’s a real harm here,” Ladin said.
___
Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
veryGood! (42)
Related
- Advocates Expect Maryland to Drive Climate Action When Trump Returns to Washington
- Fox News Announces Tucker Carlson's Departure in Surprise Message
- Pregnant Meghan Trainor Reveals Sex of Baby No. 2 With Daryl Sabara
- Halsey and Alev Aydin Break Up Nearly 2 Years After Welcoming Son
- Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
- Danny Trejo’s Kitchen Must-Haves Include a Pick Inspired by His Movies
- Ant Anstead Shares New Photos With Renée Zellweger as They Celebrate Two Years of Magic
- Detroit, Chicago and the Midwest blanketed by wildfire haze from Canada
- Could trad wives, influencers have sparked the red wave among female voters?
- Marilyn Monroe Lookalike Jasmine Chiswell Sets Record Straight on Surgery Claims
Ranking
- NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
- 24 Things Every Wine Lover Should Own
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Backpack for Just $96
- The Most Jaw-Dropping Met Gala Accessories of All Time
- Sting Says Sean Diddy Combs Allegations Don't Taint His Song
- Nordstrom 75% Off Shoe Deals: Tory Burch, Katy Perry, Nike, Dolce Vita, BCBG, and More
- Kelly Clarkson Asks Jake Gyllenhaal If He’s Had a “Real Job”
- Nicola and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham Are Perfectly Posh at Met Gala 2023
Recommendation
-
Ex-Duke star Kyle Singler draws concern from basketball world over cryptic Instagram post
-
Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller Explain Importance of Somebody Somewhere’s Queer Representation
-
Danny Trejo’s Kitchen Must-Haves Include a Pick Inspired by His Movies
-
Get These $118 Lululemon Flared Pants for $58, a $54 Tank Top for $29, $68 Shorts for $39, and More Deals
-
LSU student arrested over threats to governor who wanted a tiger at college football games
-
More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters
-
I Tried This $15 Crystal Hair Remover From Amazon—Here's What Happened
-
Save $75 on This Bissell Multi-Surface Cleaner That Vacuums and Mops Floors at the Same Time