NY lawmakers head home without congestion pricing deal

[brooklynite]

Source: AOL

NEW YORK - New York lawmakers are ending the legislative session without an agreement to bail out the MTA after Governor Kathy Hochul paused congestion pricing.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said that lawmakers will return home without coming up with a new MTA funding program to replace congestion pricing.

This was set to be the last week of the session and lawmakers were not set to return to Albany until 2025.

With congestion pricing on indefinite pause, the MTA is facing a $15B budget shortfall with few ideas about how the agency can find the money to make necessary fixes and upgrades to the city's subway system.

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This has become a huge political blunder. Abruptly calling for a halt after years of planning and three weeks before implementation and two days before the end of the legislative session didn't help the candidates in suburban House seats, and there was no serious plan developed to find an alternative source of funds (she proposed the legislature pass a payroll tax which they already done).and Legislatirs have been inundated with calls telling them to reject the Governor's plan.

important to note that congestion pricing is a State Law which can't be arbitrarily cancelled by the Governor.

A friend of mine who's the City Environmental Commissioner wrote a scathing tweet about this which tells me the Mayor opposes cancellation as well.

[PJMcK]

1. I worked in midtown Manhattan for nearly 30 years

I had offices in Rockefeller Center and near Grand Central. Since then, the vast majority of my business has migrated online so I can work remotely.

For years, I commuted by car (tolls and parking) and train (train fare and subway). If I had to pay an additional $15, the congestion plan would work because I would never drive into the city.

It has always seemed odd to me that vehicle tolls are used to pay for mass transit. Have you seen the roads and bridges in much of NY?

Governor Hochul has made a mistake.

[MichMan]

2. Just implement it anyway

important to note that congestion pricing is a State Law which can't be arbitrarily cancelled by the Governor.

If that is the case, she has no authority anyway

[brooklynite]

3. For all practical purposes they can't

It was set up with the fig leaf of an independent status, but the Board and CEO are subservient to the Governor. The only thing that could happen is that the MTA head could resign.

[MichMan]

4. Can Hochul be sued by the legislature?

For violating the state law that they passed? Why did she sign it in the first place?

[brooklynite]

5. No, because she hasn't done anything...

She’s merely “asked” that the MTA “delay” implementation and “suggested” that the legislature look for alternative funding.

[MichMan]

6. Are they obligated to follow her suspension of it or not?

I posted that they should just implement it anyway and you said they can't

Now you are saying it was just a recommendation.

[brooklynite]

7. From a political standpoint they can't refuse the Governor's request.

They’ve all been appointed by her.

[Polybius]

8. Most NYers oppose it

In local NY Facebooks Groups, there was great relief that it failed.