Federal judge hears challenges to NYC’s fee for drivers into Manhattan

New York’s first-in-the-nation plan to levy a hefty toll on drivers entering Manhattan was the focus of a legal battle that played out in federal court. A Manhattan judge heard arguments Friday in lawsuits brought by groups of New Yorkers seeking to halt the $15 “congestion fee.” The judge didn't immediately rule following the daylong hearing. The lawsuits claim federal transportation officials approved the plan without proper scrutiny of its negative effects. New York transit officials maintain they conducted extensive environmental reviews and have proposed mitigation plans to address any impacts. They plan to roll the fee out June 30.