New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering ways to revive a program that would charge drivers entering Manhattan a new $15 toll — before President-elect Donald Trump takes office and could block it.
Hochul and her team have been reaching out to state lawmakers to gauge support for reviving the plan at a lower price, according to anonymous sources.
The Democrat suspended the toll just weeks before its launch last summer, even with all the infrastructure already in place. She stated at the time that she was concerned about the high cost to drivers, but the suspension was also widely seen as a political move to help Democrats in suburban legislative races. Republicans were expected to use the toll as an argument against Democrats in an election heavily focused on issues related to the high cost of living.
Some of those Democrats ended up winning, but so did Trump, who promised to eliminate the toll if he won.
Now, Hochul has less than two months to save the program before the Republican president-elect takes office for another four years.
Hochul has long insisted that the program would eventually resurface, but previously offered no clear plan for it — or to replace the billions of dollars that were supposed to be generated to help the struggling public transit system in New York City.
She is now floating the idea of reducing the toll amount for most people driving passenger vehicles in Manhattan below 60th Street from its previous cost of $15 to $9. Her administration suggests that a new internet sales tax or payroll tax could help offset the lost revenue from the reduced fee.
A key question hanging over the program is whether the reduction in the toll amount would require the federal government to conduct a lengthy environmental review of the plan, potentially delaying its start.
The program, which was approved by the New York State Legislature in 2019, had already been stalled for years awaiting such a review during the first Trump administration.
Source: Politico and NBC