Hochul sued by transit and environmental groups over Manhattan congestion toll delay

Transit and environmental groups sued Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) for blocking a plan to reduce traffic and fund the subway system with a new toll on Manhattan drivers.

The groups argue that Hochul’s decision to indefinitely suspend this measure violated state laws and the state constitution.

The program, which was scheduled to start on June 30, would have charged drivers entering central Manhattan a toll of around $15, with prices varying on the vehicle type.

This fee was expected to generate approximately $1 billion annually for transit improvements in New York.

In their lawsuit, the Riders Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance argued that Hochul’s decision violated New Yorkers’ right to “clean air and water, and a healthful environment.”

“The people of New York City deserve to breathe,” the lawsuit states.

In a separate lawsuit, the City Club of New York argued that only the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority has the power to implement congestion pricing and the governor has no role in the decision.

Following years of public debate, state lawmakers approved this plan in 2019, which was later signed into law by former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“As powerful as a governor is, this Governor has no legal authority — none — to ‘direct’ the Metropolitan Transportation Authority” (MTA) to pause congestion pricing,” the lawsuit reads. 

However, Hochul’s office dismissed the lawsuits as a political maneuver.

“Get in line. There are now 11 separate congestion pricing lawsuits filed by groups trying to weaponize the judicial system to score political points, but Governor Hochul remains focused on what matters: funding transit, reducing congestion, and protecting working New Yorkers,” spokeswoman Maggie Halley told the Associated Press.

Some groups trying to block this program include a public teachers union, New Jersey residents, and local truckers, who filed suits ahead of the expected start date.

Hochul has defended her decision based on economic concerns and public input, while also proposing raising business taxes to cover the lost transit revenue. However, lawmakers rejected this proposal.

City Comptroller Brad Lander warned that if the governor’s decision is upheld, New Yorkers will experience “increasing service cuts, gridlock, air quality alerts, and inaccessible stations.”

Betsy Plum, executive director of the Riders Alliance, said this plan would benefit New Yorkers by generating revenue to make public transportation “faster, more reliable and accessible,” while also reducing “costly gridlock, carbon emissions, deadly collisions and toxic air pollution.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority had already installed cameras, sensors, and license plate readers for the program, as well as secured a $500 million contract with a private vendor to manage the tolling infrastructure.