Environmental leaders request meeting with Hochul over congestion pricing punt

Leaders of five national environmental organizations criticized New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) controversial decision to delay congestion pricing for drivers entering Manhattan and requested a meeting with the governor in a joint letter Tuesday.

In the letter, the leaders of Evergreen Action, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, Earthjustice and the Environmental Defense Fund said they were “sorely disappointed” by Hochul’s decision, announced earlier in the month. Hochul, who had previously supported the congestion pricing plan, said she had determined that it “risks too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time” and did not offer further details on when or if it would be implemented.

“This decision will have significant consequences for New York, and it will reverberate nationally. Your proposed indefinite delay poses a significant risk to achieving New York’s climate goals and the imperative to both reduce traffic congestion and ensure sustainable funding for more affordable and reliable transportation,” the five organizations’ leaders wrote. “We hope to meet with you soon to discuss a prompt resolution to the situation.”

The pricing system was approved by the White House last year and would have taken effect June 30, with passenger vehicles being charged $15 for entering Manhattan below 60th Street and a steeper charge for larger vehicles.

Days after Hochul announced the delay, the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association announced it would host a fundraiser for Hochul, but the governor announced she would not attend the event shortly after.

Congestion pricing aims to reduce traffic in the heart of New York City and has attracted strong support from environmental advocates, who have called it a vital tool to cut air pollution in dense population centers. Opponents have said that it would amount to a regressive tax on working class residents, an argument Hochul echoed in her announcement of the delay, but proponents have countered that it would actually disproportionately affect higher earners.

“A very, very small portion of drivers who enter Midtown Manhattan during business hours are economically disadvantaged,” Eric Goldstein, a senior attorney and New York City environment director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.

The Hill has reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.