NEW YORK (PIX11) – Advocates for congestion pricing are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to act quickly before President-elect Donald Trump can take action on his promise to end the plan in Lower Manhattan.
Trump said back in May that he, "will TERMINATE Congestion Pricing in my FIRST WEEK back in Office," according to a post from TruthSocial. Cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street would be charged a once-daily toll of $15 during peak hours under the plan.
There are several ways that Trump could stop congestion pricing. He could choose not to sign off on the program, ask for another environmental review or get involved with the lawsuits against congestion pricing, according to reporting from New York Focus.
"The situation has never been more stark – we're facing transit Armageddon without your leadership," said Lisa Daglian, the executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA in a statement on Wednesday.
Hochul paused congestion pricing back in June, saying that Manhattan's Central Business District had yet to bounce back financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. She told reporters on Wednesday that she planned to take a systematic approach to congestion pricing by the end of the year.
Congestion pricing was expected to raise at least $15 billion for the MTA. The agency approved its $68 billion capital plan for improvements to the transit system back in September, but advocates said about half of it is unfunded due to the congestion pricing pause.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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