Hochul revives congestion pricing plan as riders alliance drops lawsuit

The Riders Alliance has withdrawn its lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul following her decision to restart New York City’s long-delayed congestion pricing program.

The plan, which had been paused in June, is set to charge drivers with E-ZPass a $9 toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion and generate funding for public transit improvements.

“The lawsuit has done the trick,” said Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, during an appearance on *Mornings On 1* Friday. “As the governor pointed out on Tuesday, she follows the law. As she said yesterday, the pause is coming to an end. We’ve done what we needed to do with the case.”

The program, though controversial, promises significant benefits for citywide transportation. Pearlstein underscored the urgency of the plan, stating, “Every percent counts when it comes to ambulance speeds, bus speeds, and businesses’ ability to make more deliveries. We know that there will be savings, and we know the savings will be significant across the city.”

In response to affordability concerns, the toll price was reduced from $15 to $9. Pearlstein acknowledged the reduction as a step in the right direction while reiterating the importance of the funds for critical transit upgrades. “The governor saw the issue of affordability and cost of living from the start, and of course, we did, too,” he said. “But transit affordability is key for people who come into Manhattan since most get here by public transit, not by car.”

Despite the program’s restart, Pearlstein expressed lingering concerns over potential opposition. Groups, including incoming President Donald Trump, have vowed to halt the tolling initiative once his administration begins in January.

“Every city, state, and federal-level environmental organization is in strong support of the program. The Biden Federal Highway Administration has studied it rigorously under environmental laws,” Pearlstein noted. “But that said, we are not breathing easy until the first tolls are collected. We’ve seen a lot of false starts, and we’ve seen some false promises.”

As New York braces for the program’s implementation, advocates are cautiously optimistic that congestion pricing will deliver much-needed improvements to the city’s transit infrastructure while easing the burden of gridlock in Manhattan’s busiest zones.