Governor Hochul Slams the Brakes on Congestion Pricing, Leaving Hell’s Kitchen in a Traffic Jam of Opinions

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is putting the brakes on a controversial congestion charge, just 25 days before it was expected to go into effect. The announcement immediately sparked passionate responses from Hell’s Kitchenites. “I have directed the MTA to indefinitely pause,” congestion pricing, Hochul announced on Wednesday morning.

The plan, which was supposed to go into effect on June 30, would have charged cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street $15 at peak hours. The funds raised were supposed to support the beleaguered MTA, while also reducing congestion on city streets.

In a pre-recorded address, Hochul said that implementing a congestion charge would have risked “too many unintended consequences.”

“The idea behind congestion pricing is that it will encourage many current drivers to shift to public transit. But there is a third possibility that now poses a greater threat,” she said. “Drivers can now choose to stay home altogether,” and “I cannot add another burden to working and middle class New Yorkers, or create another obstacle to our continuing recovery.”

Hochul’s 11th-hour reversal is already receiving strong criticism from local transit activists.

Charlie Todd, a comedian and Citi Bike rider who lives in Hell’s Kitchen, called Hochul’s decision “really disheartening.”Tr

“Just yesterday we had ozone air quality alerts ,” Todd said. “Congestion pricing will bring our neighborhood cleaner air, quieter and safer streets, better public transit, and less congestion for those that choose to drive.”

Assemblymember Tony Simone echoed Todd’s comments, calling congestion pricing in a press release “a generation-defining policy” that “will bring our transit system into the 21st Century.”

Simone wrote of Hochul’s decision: “We must not cower to pressure by out-of-state Governors and the convicted felon, former President Donald Trump, to stop congestion pricing in its tracks.”

In contrast, business owners sang a different tune, praising the governor’s decision.

Charlie Marshall, owner of farm-to-table restaurant The Marshal, told us: “I’m thrilled. We depend on business lunches and Broadway theater goers, especially because NYC now has so many absentee residents who are only in the city half the time or less. Congestion pricing would have killed that commuter and theater business. I hope this delay is permanent.”

Steve Olsen, who owns West Bank Cafe on W42 Street, told us: “This is great news. Nobody likes Congestion Pricing. The purveyors will add a Congestion Pricing cost to all deliveries (just like the Fuel Cost that they still charge — even though the price of gas has decreased over the last two years) and it’s going to hurt local tourism the most. Plus, projects like this rarely ever achieve what their purpose is, which is to improve mass transit.”

In the aftermath of Hochul’s last-minute decision, Hell’s Kitchen is left to wonder: what will happen to the speed cameras installed at over 100 locations around the city since last year at a cost of over $500m ? One W42ST reader brought up that very issue on our Instagram, writing: “All the signs and toll thingy’s that were put up. What a waste of money and resources if they ultimately go unused.” We have put in a call to the Used Camera Department at B&H Cameras for an estimate of their resale value — and will update the story with their response.

Comedian Christy Miller chimed in on Instagram with her support of Hochul’s decision: “WOO HOO!!!!!!!! I’m all about a greener existence, BUT that wasn’t the answer,” she wrote. “It would’ve killed small businesses in the area and prices would’ve gone sky high and outer borough residents would’ve stopped coming to Broadway shows, restaurants, etc. Yay.”

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