Crowd protests halt of New York City’s controversial congestion pricing

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing protests over her decision on Wednesday to indefinitely postpone a plan to charge drivers entering New York City, weeks before it was set to begin.

The policy, which had been scheduled to go live on June 30, called for a toll on drivers entering the Manhattan Central Business District, a part of the city south of and including 60th Street. It would have cost drivers of passenger cars up to $22.50 per day, while for large trucks and tour buses, it could have meant a fee of up to $54. The revenue generated from the program was going to be directed toward investing in better public transportation in the city. But Hochul said she was re-thinking the move.

“Circumstances have changed and we must respond to the facts on the ground — not from the rhetoric from five years ago,” she said in a statement. “So, after careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risks too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time. For that reason, I have directed the [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] to indefinitely pause the program.”

Riders Alliance, a group that advocates for affordable public transportation, called for the governor to move forward with the plan.

New York Representative Jerrold Nadler said on Wednesday that he was disappointed by Hochul’s decision.

“After years of delays, we need congestion pricing now more than ever to reduce paralyzing vehicle traffic in the Central Business District, improve air quality in our city and region, and raise desperately needed capital funds to enhance the public transit system that millions depend on,” Nadler said in a statement.

He went on to say that the congestion plan would help generate $15 billion for New York city’s transportation authority.

“Without congestion pricing or a similar funding source, the MTA will be forced to make systemwide cuts, including $10 billion in critical subway and bus projects in New York City, $800 million in critical cuts to Metro-North, and nearly $1 billion in cuts to the Long Island Railroad,” he said.

Newsweek contacted Hochul’s office for comment via email on Wednesday.

In her statement, the governor said the toll would hurt lower-income commuters that New York relies on to function.

“Let’s be real: a $15 charge may not mean a lot to someone who has the means, but it can break the budget of a working- or middle-class household,” she said. “It puts the squeeze on the very people who make this City go: the teachers, first responders, small business workers, bodega owners. And given these financial pressures, I cannot add another burden to working- and middle-class New Yorkers – or create another obstacle to continued recovery.”

Hochul went on to say that her administration would work toward improving public transportation in the city.

“That includes immediate investments in reliability and accessibility: track repairs, new signals, adding more elevators at subway and commuter stations. It means security cameras and other technologies to improve safety for riders throughout the system,” she added. “It means moving forward with transformative projects, like the extension of the Second Avenue Subway and the Interborough Express.”