By Hank Russell
After facing political pressure on this issue, Governor Kathy Hochul has decided at the last minute to hit the pause button on the congestion pricing program. She made this announcement during a press conference on June 5 in which she addressed the issues of affordability and the cost of living and how it affects New Yorkers.
“Circumstances have changed and we must respond to the facts on the ground — not from the rhetoric from five years ago. 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 MTA to indefinitely pause the program.”
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, many municipalities, including the Town of Hempstead, sued the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) over its proposed congestion pricing plan that was slated to go into effect on June 30.
Under this plan, otherwise known as Central Business District Tolling, those who are driving cars will pay $15 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, while truck drivers will be charged $24 to $36, depending on their size. The toll will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, motorcyclists, taxi and ride-share drivers, first responders and daily commuters will have to pay.
“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,” Hochul 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.”
Elected officials from both sides of the aisle applauded Hochul’s decision. “While it is important to consider every option at our disposal for bolstering mass transit and protecting our environment, congestion pricing would have resulted in an unacceptably disparate impact upon Nassau County residents if implemented in its current form,” said Nassau County Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D-Plainview).
“The governor’s last-minute reversal exposes her true intentions—this was never about protecting the environment but rather a maneuver aimed at generating revenue from the pockets of suburban commuters and small businesses,” New York State Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said. “Instead of depleting the state’s reserves or imposing further tax hikes, the governor should abandon this plan altogether. We need to focus on creating a streamlined and sustainable MTA that doesn’t perpetually seek new funds from Long Island taxpayers.”
Nassau County Legislative Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) said Hochul’s decision “takes into consideration the fact that many of our residents and small businesses are still struggling to make ends meet. This decision not only reflects a compassionate understanding of the economic pressures on New Yorkers but also underscores the importance of reevaluating long-term strategies in light of our current realities.”
Drucker said the MTA needs to “[meet] several targets” before implementing congestion pricing. “They must ensure that the people who are being asked to pay more will immediately benefit from increased mass transit service,” he said. “Nassau residents must be included in discount programs that train ticket holders in the Five Boroughs currently benefit from – and Long Islanders are inexplicably excluded from.”
Ra offered a more blunt statement. “New York is not a chessboard. The political exploitation of revenue streams must end. It’s time to prioritize the well-being of New Yorkers above all else.”