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Gov. Kathy Hochul’s move to revive congestion pricing in New York has energized her Republican opponents, giving them fodder to fight her re-election in 2026.
Nov. 15, 2024
When Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York brought congestion pricing to a screeching halt in June, many speculated that the decision was politically motivated.
Ms. Hochul had pledged to do everything in her power to support Democrats in November, particularly in key House races in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island, where the party lost ground in the 2022 midterms, and where the tolling plan was particularly toxic.
The governor insisted that economics, not politics, was behind her decision. Even so, with congestion pricing off the table, New York was one of the few states where Democrats gained House seats.
But now Ms. Hochul’s decision on Thursday to reinstate the plan, even at a deeply discounted price, may have brought some risk to another election: her own, in 2026.
Emboldened by their electoral victories, Republicans pledged to do whatever was necessary to stop the plan, while suburban Democrats on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley dismissed the toll reduction — to $9 for most drivers, from $15 — as insufficient.
Even some progressive Democrats who favor congestion pricing regard the new plan with some skepticism, noting the questionable math behind the promise that New York will still get 100 percent of the financial benefit from the program, even though it will be charging only 60 percent of the original toll to start.
