The Rebirth of Congestion Pricing

It’s Friday. Today we’ll take a closer look at Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to revive the congestion pricing plan she put on hold in June. We’ll also find out about a lawyer’s effort on behalf of a man convicted of shooting a Black teenager in 1989.

Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Gov. Kathy Hochul is bringing back the congestion pricing program that would charge drivers who enter the busiest parts of Manhattan. But the tolls will be lower than those under the original version of the plan, which she canceled in June, saying that they were too high.

Starting in early January — officials are aiming for Jan. 5 — drivers in most passenger cars will be charged $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, down from the previously approved rate of $15.

Hochul’s decision raised a variety of questions, including whether the lower tolls could generate the $15 billion needed for mass transit repairs — and whether President-elect Donald Trump could kill the plan when he takes office 15 days after target date for the program. I put some of those questions to Winnie Hu, who has covered congestion pricing for more than a decade, going back to Michael Bloomberg’s administration.

Why a $9 toll for most passenger cars?

Because $9 was the smallest amount that officials have already studied. They looked at tolls between $9 and $23 before deciding on $15. They do not have time for new studies of different price points if the tolls are to take effect before Trump has a chance to make good on his promise to kill congestion pricing.