Earlier today, the Daily News’ blog paraphrased a U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman as saying that the city’s grant application “won't necessarily be thrown out if approval isn't forthcoming on that date.”

Asked about that report, Kathryn Wylde, president and chief executive of the Partnership for New York City and one of the leaders of the congestion pricing movement, agreed that the deadline could slip back—but not by a lot.

“A day here or a day there is not really the issue. But we are talking about a day, not a week,” she said after a news conference by the plan’s supporters this morning at City Hall.

The U.S. DOT has said it will choose the five cities to receive $1.1 billion total in pilot grants for congestion relief measures by Aug. 8, she said, which gives the agency just enough time to appropriate the money by the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30.