Hochul added that she is getting closer to lifting the pause on the controversial plan. Clarity is expected to come by the end of 2024.
So a vague, fence-sitting position about something critical to the region so she can shore up votes and give her answer based on how the election goes.
What’s even more frustrating about this is she thinks it’ll win her votes from moderate republicans or something when they were probably never going to vote for a democrat anyway. So instead of doing something objectively good for society, she’s capitulating to imaginary voters.
Can Trump’s administration take congestion charge away once it’s implemented? Like let’s say there was no blockage of it in June and we had Congestion Charge since July. Would Trump be able to still halt it months later?
I ask because couldn’t Hochul theoretically reinstate it now before inauguration in late Jan?
$5 or even $7.50 for most cars would be way less controversial and get less pushback. I think it’s the high price tag that is driving the outcry more than the concept of congestion pricing itself.
"One way to minimize the chance of Trump derailing the program? Start it before January 20. “It would be very difficult for the Trump administration to undo it if it’s already up and running,” Gerrard said."
But then:
" Hochul will need the legislature’s sign-off to make significant changes to the program. Some legislators have expressed openness to modifications, such as lowering the planned $15 toll, but reaching consensus might not be a speedy process when legislators return to Albany in January from their half-year recess.
“I do not believe any changes to congestion pricing that require legislative action would pass quickly,” said Senator Liz Krueger, chair of the chamber’s powerful finance committee and a strong supporter of congestion pricing."
The entire point is the high price tag. It’s not supposed to be palatable. It’s supposed to force people to stop coming into these highly congested areas and not paying for it
They’ll just tint their plates and keep coming for free. Enforcement in this city is extremely weak on that front because police and fellow public employees are often the perpetrators.
Nobody is driving into Lower Manhattan for fun, they are doing it because something about the nature of their work, or where they live relative to public transit routes, makes driving the only practical option for them. Overcharging them will not stop them from entering because they don’t have a choice.
Policy like this is how Trump got double digit gains across the entire region, even in the boroughs themselves. Even liberals like Phil Murphy are trying to fight this all the way up to the Supreme Court.
Yup, and that’s why there are millions of transit rides per day and only a few hundred thousand car trips. Most people are covered by transit, but some aren’t.
Also the drastically cut prices for TLC vehicles is obnoxious. The proliferation of Ubers is one of the main reasons for all the congestion and they should pay an equal share.
Well, she’s gonna probably reduce the fee to $9. I’ll take $9 over no congestion pricing. It can always be raised later. What is good is that they did a study with pricing ranging from $9 to $23 so if no extra environmental review (more time) is required, it can go into effect rather quickly and Trump won’t be able to kill it. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/08/congestion-pricing-kathy-hochul-tolling-new-york-00188477
Why do people assume that what is done by the state cannot be undone by the federal executive?
As this is entirely about egos and not about policy, it will not be sufficient for the state executive to put in place the program in advance of the federal executive’s inauguration date. She also has to say very very nice things to stroke the incoming administrator’s ego. But do we expect the state executive to get on her knees? Probably not. She may be a political chameleon/cockroach/prostitute, but this just isn’t worth her time. And I don’t blame her. These types of situations often leave an unpleasant taste in one’s mouth when all is said and done.
