LI's GOP senators call on Hochul to stop congestion pricing
Republican lawmakers are asking for a special session of the state legislature to discuss the controversial program.
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Just one day after the MTA board approved the revived congestion pricing program, Long Island's Republican state senators gathered to call on the plan to be scrapped.
State Sen. Steve Rhoads (R - Bellmore) says they are asking for a special session of the state Legislature to be called before congestion pricing goes into effect on Jan. 5.
State Sens. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R-Malverne) are co-sponsors on a bill that would fully repeal congestion pricing and ask for a forensic audit of the MTA.
The program would create a toll for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street, and cost $9 during daytime hours. The MTA has stated that toll increased would be phased in, with it costing $15 in 2031.
The program is set to begin on Jan. 5, pending federal approval.
A spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul released the following statement:
“Nearly 90% of commuters to Manhattan’s central business district rely on public transit – and this congestion reduction plan will deliver $15 billion to ensure better, faster transit for millions of working New Yorkers, all while lowering tolls by 40%. The critics of our more affordable plan have still failed to offer any of their own meaningful solutions for reducing gridlock, improving emergency vehicle response times, and strengthening the transit system that is so vital to New York’s economic future.”
