Governor delays start of congestion pricing toll plan

June 5, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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CITYWIDE — GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL IS POSTPONING THE CONGESTION pricing tolling plan that state legislature passed years ago and that was scheduled to be implemented on June 30, according to sources familiar with this issue, the New York Times, Spectrum and other news agencies report. The tolling plan, which would have charged a tiered fee structure to vehicles entering Manhattan at 60th St. and points south, is deferred indefinitely, with the governor “quietly maneuvering” a delay to help the city recover financially from the pandemic and the remote work policies that kept people off roadways. According to the New York Times, Mayor Eric Adams, who has been in dialogue with Hochul on congestion pricing, emphasized that he is fine with her approach, because “We have to get [congestion pricing] right. We have to make sure it’s not an undue burden on everyday New Yorkers.” Other elected leaders in New York have commended the governor’s delay, with State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-23) calling it “a significant win for our constituents.” Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, has been on record as a staunch opponent of congestion pricing. The plan also drew fierce opposition from unions, drivers and passengers with disabilities, and several groups have filed lawsuits to halt its implementation.

However, Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Executive Director for Public Affairs at Transportation Alternatives, is unhappy with the governor’s move. “Delaying congestion pricing is a slap in the face to the millions of New Yorkers who rely on public transportation every day just to appease the program’s loudest foes,” she said in a statement.

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