The MTA is urging federal judges to keep a congestion pricing dispute within the courtroom rather than letting it spill into public demonstrations.
In an interim injunction submitted late Monday, the MTA argues that state actions could end the program due to threats of “illegal retaliation,” effectively turning lawful actions into unlawful ones to avoid judicial scrutiny.
Roberta Kaplan, representing the MTA, stated, “Without substantial defenses regarding the merits, the administration seems to rely on tactics that avoid legal scrutiny, instead exploiting federal funds whenever it suits them.”
The MTA contends that if Duffy follows through on threats to withhold federal transportation funds, a provisional injunction is crucial due to the “immediate and harmful implications” it would have.
“These threatened actions are likely to cause irreparable harm,” the MTA states. “That’s the intent. The defendants are effectively trying to compel compliance with their unlawful demands by threatening funding for other public projects.”
Conversely, an MTA attorney noted that succumbing to the defendants’ demands would lead to significant losses, potentially around $50 million each month, greatly impacting public transportation funding.
