WASHINGTON (March 4, 2026) – A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to end New York City’s congestion pricing program was illegal, marking a major victory for one of the nation’s most closely watched transportation policies. This decision comes months after the program was granted temporary protection.
Sara Bronin, a professor at the George Washington University Law School and a leading expert in land use and transportation law, is available to discuss the legal implications of this ruling.
“Today’s opinion in MTA v. Duffy is a victory for the wildly successful congestion pricing program in New York City—which has simultaneously cleaned the air, facilitated economic activity, and generated funds for public transit, while also reducing traffic for drivers. The court rightly found the Trump administration’s attempts to rescind federal approval for congestion pricing arbitrary and capricious, and thus violative of the Administrative Procedure Act. As the latest chapter in a decades-long tug-of-war, I’m optimistic that this case will strengthen the viability of projects that offer people cleaner, better alternatives to driving.”
Professor Bronin recently published an article in the Yale Law Journal Forum, “Transportation Law’s Congestion Problem,” documenting the history of this lawsuit and framing it
To schedule an interview with Bronin, contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu).
-GW-