Hochul announces $9 NYC congestion pricing to begin in January

Congestion pricing is full speed ahead — again.Gov.Kathy Hochul officially announced Thursday that she will lift her “pause” on the controversial toll program for New York City — paving the way it to take effect by the New Year.Cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street will face $9 day-time base tolls starting in January — a fee lower than the $15 originally planned, she said during a news conference.“I’m proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters.”Hochul said the proposed revamp will include further discounts for low-income New Yorkers.She said car owners making less than $50,000 a year will get a 50% discount on every toll after their 10th in a month month, and the toll will be reduced further after 9 p.m., though it wasn’t immediately clear by how much.The $9 toll will be enough to secure the originally planned $15 billion in MTA funding for projects such as modern signals, the Second Avenue subway and new elevators for stations, Hochul said.The governor said she also directed the MTA to make “major service enhancements” to at least 23 bus routes in the outer boroughs.The pause on the first-in-the-nation program was imposed by Hochul in June, just days before motorists were slated to start shelling out $15 tolls.Hochul, however, contended that the tolls would be too high for New Yorkers and commuters as she unilaterally put congestion pricing on indefinite hold.She also reportedly bowed to political pressure from her fellow Democrats to delay the program until after the 2024 election out of fear the tolls would scuttle their chances of winning battleground New York congressional seats.Hochul’s revival of congestion pricing comes with a lower toll that officials said wouldn’t require MTA officials to conduct another lengthy environmental review.A Federal Highway Administration spokesperson confirmed that New York officials got the ball rolling on ...