With help from Shawn Ness
Governor Kathy Hochul has ended congestion pricing.
in a video message This morning, the governor told New Yorkers that she made the “difficult decision” to “indefinitely pause the program.”
The move shocked politicians across the state and angered politicians and advocacy organizations that spent more than a decade of political capital pushing the controversial plan.
Today’s announcement, first reported by POLITICO, also speaks to Hochul’s approach to governance. At other points in her career, she abruptly opposed policies inherited from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo that she had previously championed.
Remember to limit and invest? Hochul’s administration proposed changing the Cuomo-era climate law to make the program less costly during the final days of budget negotiations last year. But he backed down after environmental groups and lawmakers rebelled, and his administration is now considering a cap-and-invest price cap that, absent other meaningful policies, will keep the state from achieving its goals. .
And what about bail reform? She was dogged by those Cuomo-era policies during her re-election race against former Rep. Lee Zeldin and she came uncomfortably close to losing because of it. Only in the final days of her campaign did she make a last-minute pivot to focus on crime.
Today’s announcement is similar. State lawmakers and staff are already packing their bags to leave Albany and return to their districts for the last time this year. Dozens of congestion charging cameras had has already been installed throughout Manhattan, and the program was just weeks away from becoming a reality after it was first proposed in 2007.
“This is all a new development that came up very suddenly, so I’m not exactly sure what the governor has in mind,” Deputy Majority Leader Sen. Mike Gianaris said when asked how the state will compensate. the planned congestion price. revenue.
The Legislature will now have to figure out how to account for the estimated $1 billion budgeted in congestion pricing revenue. Lawmakers believe there are two options: take money from the state’s “rainy day fund” or generate MTA revenue through a business or payroll tax.
Even as congestion pricing was going to be implemented, lawsuits were being filed to tear it down. in a legal filing today obtained by POLITICO, the MTA told the court that those fights will no longer be necessary.
Hochul attributed his change to fiscal concerns, saying today: “A $15 fee may not mean much to someone who has the means, but it can ruin the budget of a working- or middle-class household,” he said.
He also said: “For those cynics who question my motivation, I approach every decision through a single lens: What is best for New Yorkers?”
POLITICO already reported on a different motivation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was among those reportedly concerned that congestion pricing could hurt Democrats’ chances of winning swing seats in New York, where his party’s losses helped to tilt the balance of power toward the Republican Party two years ago. (Hochul’s announcement came just 12 hours after the story was published Tuesday night.)
Remember, Hochul. speak grandiosely about congestion pricing just before this year’s legislative session began: “From time to time, leaders are asked to envision a better future and be bold in implementation and execution,” he said in a conference in favor of congestion pricing in December. meeting. — Jason Beeferman
THE SLOW PACE OF THE ASSEMBLY: Advocates on a wide range of issues have expressed a similar concern this week: There may not be enough time for the Assembly to vote on their bills before leaving town this week. There are 150 members who might want to debate bills in that chamber, compared to 61 currently in the Senate, and the technical means of casting votes require more time than in the upper house.
The figures confirm the slowness. Although the Assembly did not adjourn until 11:37 pm on Monday and 10:49 pm on Tuesday, members approved only 137 bills, at a rate of nine per session hour. The Senate concluded both days at dinner time, but managed to pass 295 bills, at a rate of 59 per hour. —Bill Mahoney
BROKEN THE LAW: Before overturning a motorcycle and ordering bulldozers to crush rows of others at a now-closed Staten Island landfill, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would double down on punitive measures against illegal use of electric bicycles and motorcycles.
This week, the NYPD launched a police crackdown on unregistered vehicles, which city officials say are increasingly being used to commit robberies and other crimes across the city.
“These mopeds and scooters are used to…commit crimes,” Adams said. “We’ve also seen criminals using them to walk around and snatch property like cell phones, jewelry and wallets from New Yorkers.”
E-bike-assisted crimes have increased over the past two years.
During the first five months of this year, for example, the number of theft patterns increased almost eightfold compared to the same period in 2022, while the number of complaints increased tenfold.
Two days ago in Corona, Queens, two police officers were shot during a crackdown on an individual riding an unregistered scooter with a loaded gun, according to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell.
“In a matter of hours, we had 74 bikes confiscated, numerous arrests and numerous citations.” he said during Wednesday’s announcement.
The enforcement strategy, which will include checkpoints along tunnels and bridges and the deployment of community response teams, is not intended to ensnare delivery workers who frequently operate these bikes.
“The biggest culprits are not those who are honest, hard-working delivery drivers,” Adams said, hoping to collaborate with companies that authorize the sale of unregistered vehicles in the first place. “Use it legally and the police department will be your friend.” Adams said. – Jillian Peprah-Frimpong
— ALBANY OPTS FOR: Albany County has opted for the good cause eviction program. But Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has not yet signed the bill. The law would prevent tenants from raising rents above 10 percent and would guarantee lease renewal for non-problem tenants. (State of politics)
— PAID PARENTAL LEAVE: Hochul’s administration has reached an agreement with the Police Benevolent Association to give its members 12 weeks of paid parental leave and annual salary increases. The agreed contract will have a duration of three years. (Union of times)
— BRAGG SAYS NO TO ENDING GAG ORDER: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg doesn’t think it’s time to lift the gag order imposed on Donald Trump during his hush money criminal trial. His team wrote a letter to Judge Juan Merchán opposing Trump’s wishes to lift the order. (news day )
Did you miss this morning’s New York Playbook? Read it here.
