(The Center Square) — Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is resurrecting plans to implement congestion pricing that will hike tolls to enter downtown Manhattan, but the new program faces an uncertain future with Republicans vowing to kill the program.
On Thursday, Hochul announced that she is unpausing the New York City program with a reduced base fare of $9 — down from the original plan of $15 — and plans to implement it on Jan. 5, just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take over the White House.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday afternoon, Hochul said the lower toll will help the state meet its climate change reduction goals and drum up more money for public transit “without putting an extra strain on those who can least afford it.”
“I always have and I always will fight to put more money in the pockets of everyday New Yorkers,” the Democrat said in remarks. “No New Yorker should have to pay a penny more than necessary.”
The governor’s office said the retooled plan includes discounts for low-income drivers making less than $50,000 annually. These drivers will receive a 50% discount after hitting their 10th toll each month.
The controversial tolling program, which was set to start June 30, called for a $15 toll on drivers entering the core of Manhattan to generate about $1 billion annually for public transit system upgrades. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates New York City’s subways, buses and trains, had planned to leverage the funds to borrow $15 billion to upgrade subway signals and stations, among other projects.
But in June, Hochul abruptly hit the brakes on congestion pricing, announcing that she directed the MTA to “indefinitely” pause the program. She cited the impact on commuters who would be forced to pay higher tolls.
Transit advocates and environmental groups protested the move and filed lawsuits against the Hochul administration, arguing that the governor lacked the authority to make the changes unilaterally. New York was also facing lawsuits from New Jersey and a group of Republican lawmakers seeking to block the congestion pricing program.
Trump, a Republican and native New Yorker, is among those who oppose congestion pricing and pledged on the campaign trail to “terminate” the programs during his “first week” in office.
Members of New York’s congressional delegation are also vowing to kill any alternative plan Hochul devises. On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Lawler said he and other Republican lawmakers plan to propose legislation “to stop this program dead in its tracks, period.”
“Governor Hochul’s congestion pricing scheme is nothing more than a massive new tax on working families, daily commuters, college students, and local residents who just want to travel within the city they call home,” Lawler said in a statement.
Lawler and fellow New York Republican Reps. Nicole Malliotakis and Andrew Garbarino sent a letter to Trump earlier this week urging him to take immediate steps when he returns to the White House in January to block the “absurd congestion pricing cash grab once and for all.”
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy also blasted Hochul’s plans to revive the congestion pricing plan in the final days of the Biden administration. He urged her and other New York officials to reconsider the move.
“All of us need to listen to the message that voters across America sent last Tuesday, which is that the vast majority of Americans are experiencing severe economic strains and still feeling the effects of inflation,” Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. “There could not be a worse time to impose a new $9 toll on individuals who are traveling into downtown Manhattan for work, school, or leisure.”
