NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul is moving forward with a plan “resume” congestion pricing. soon by cutting proposed tolls in New York City by 40%, sources tell CBS News New York.
Fresh off an election night lollapalooza that included the approval of proposal 1 and seats in the U.S. House turn blueThe governor told lawmakers and the MTA that she plans to turn on the toll cameras that surround Manhattan’s Central Business District.
Hochul wants congestion pricing to become a reality and for motorists to start paying by the end of the year, multiple sources said.
A high-stakes game of chicken
Republican lawmakers vow to delay the plan until President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, in a high-stakes game of chicken with the Democratic governor.
“It’s still a money grab. It’s still a tax on hardworking New Yorkers. We shouldn’t have to pay extra tolls to get into the city, the center of the city that we live in,” said Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican Congressman from Staten Island.
Hochul told MTA officials that drivers would pay $9 instead of $15 once congestion pricing starts, sources said.
“Is $9 better than $15? I think New Yorkers who are struggling are worried about having enough money to feed their kids and put on new sneakers when they outgrow them and put some money aside for college,” Hochul told reporters in Puerto last year Rico. week. “Here’s what I’ve been saying all along: Fifteen dollars is too much.”
The congestion pricing plan is on the verge of approval, sources said
New York City, state and federal officials must give the green light before tolls can be collected. The MTA would also have to approve the lower fares.
According to sources, the documents have already been signed by the FBI and city officials. The final signature needed would be from state Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, a Hochul appointee.
Malliotakis said she and her supporters want to delay the plan until Trump takes office in January 2025.
“We will try to look at all possible angles to fight it legislatively and legally,” Malliotakis said. “Ultimately, the governor must listen to the will of the people. The will of the people, overwhelmingly in New York City alone, is that two-thirds are against this congestion tax, and that’s not even a poll. the people of Long Islandin the Hudson Valley.”
Sources said government officials plan to meet environmentalists and others who have filed charges to restart congestion pricing to get their signature on the new plan.
Malliotakis said if Hochul succeeds in activating the toll cameras, she and other officials will be sued. The governor seems willing to roll the dice.
Marcia Kramer
