Nov. 10, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld Gov. Kathy Hochul is reportedly considering reviving congestion pricing, which she paused this summer, as the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term looms. Politico reported that Hochul is weighing her options with the federal Department of Transportation to revive the toll of driving into Manhattan south of…
Sep. 18, 2024 By Shane O’Brien The MTA released details of a $68.4 billion capital plan for 2025-2029 — even though how much of that plan will be paid for remains up in the air with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s ongoing pause of congestion pricing. The plan, which represents a significant increase on the $54.8…
Jul. 31, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld The MTA could face hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs each year to run the transit system stemming from the pause on congestion pricing, putting significant pressure on the budget of an agency already struggling under huge levels of fare evasion. After projecting years of balanced…
Jul. 18, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld Subway riders have faced repeated days of dreadful commuting amidst an oppressive heat wave this week, hearkening back to the infamous 2017 Summer of Hell. On Tuesday, a switch problem at 135th Street caused major delays to the A, B, C, and D lines, forcing the MTA to…
Jun. 30, 2024 By Janno Lieber This was supposed to be the week we turned on the congestion pricing system. As we all know, that’s no longer happening – at least for the moment. A few weeks ago, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a temporary pause on tolling, and last week the MTA Board acknowledged…
Jun. 25, 2024 By Bill Parry In response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision earlier this month to indefinitely pause congestion pricing, the MTA ordered contractors to halt ADA modernization projects at two Queens Long Island Rail Road stations in Forest Hills and Hollis. Amid these changes, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato reassured her constituents that the…
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Jun. 16, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld The Federal Highway Administration’s final approval for the MTA’s now-shelved congestion pricing program gave plaudits to the tolling scheme which Gov. Kathy Hochul scuttled for the sake of easing economic costs to drivers. On the contrary, the approval decision on June 14 seemed to indicate that congestion pricing…
Jun. 12, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld City Comptroller Brad Lander said Wednesday that he is assembling a coalition of legal minds and impacted parties to potentially sue New York state over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s eleventh-hour decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing. Because the governor framed her decision as a “temporary pause,” and the original…
Jun. 12, 2024 By Anthony Medina Council Member Robert Holden is proposing a legislative package that includes an exemption for veterans from congestion pricing. The proposal, which aims to address critical transportation and public safety issues, is expected to be considered by the city council this month. The Queens councilman, who represents District 30, which…
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Jun. 11, 2024 By Assemblymember David I. Weprin Like many residents throughout the five boroughs and across the New York Metro Area, I was pleasantly surprised by Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to “indefinitely pause” the implementation of Congestion Pricing. Rather than seeing this as a cynical calculation, as some have alleged, I see the Governor’s…
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