ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is contemplating methods to revive a program that may have charged drivers a new $15 toll to enter certain Manhattan neighborhoods — earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace and may block it.

Within the days since Trump’s election, Hochul and her workers have been reaching out to state lawmakers to gauge assist for resuscitating the plan — generally known as “congestion pricing” — with a cheaper price tag, in line with two individuals conversant in the outreach. The individuals spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of they have been revealing non-public conversations.

Hochul, a Democrat, hit the brakes on the plan simply weeks earlier than it was set to launch this summer season, even with all of the infrastructure already in place.

She stated on the time she was frightened it will value motorists an excessive amount of cash, but it surely was additionally extensively seen as a political transfer to assist Democrats in carefully watched congressional races within the metropolis’s suburbs. The charge would have come on high of the already hefty tolls to enter town through some river crossings, and Republicans have been anticipated to make use of it as a cudgel in an election closely centered on cost-of-living points.

A few of these Democrats ended up winning, however so did Trump, who has vowed to terminate congestion pricing from the Oval Workplace.

Now, Hochul has lower than two months to salvage the scheme earlier than the Republican president-elect, whose Trump Tower is throughout the toll zone, takes workplace for one more 4 years

Hochul had lengthy insisted this system would ultimately reemerge, however beforehand provided no clear plan for that — or to switch the billions of {dollars} in was alleged to generate to assist New York Metropolis’s ailing public transit system.

She is now floating the concept of decreasing the toll for most individuals driving passenger automobiles into Manhattan under sixtieth Road from its earlier value of $15 right down to $9, in line with the 2 individuals. Her workplace recommended {that a} new web gross sales tax or payroll tax may assist to make up the cash misplaced by decreasing the charge, one of many individuals stated.

A spokesman for Hochul declined to remark and pointed to public remarks the governor made final week when she stated: “Conversations with the federal authorities will not be new. We’ve had conversations — ongoing conversations — with the White Home, the DOT, the Federal Freeway Administration, since June.”

She reiterated final week that she thinks $15 is simply too excessive.

A key query hanging over the method is whether or not decreasing the toll quantity would require the federal authorities to conduct a prolonged environmental evaluation of this system, probably delaying the method into the incoming administration’s time period.

This system, which was approved by the New York state Legislature in 2019, already stalled for years awaiting such a evaluation throughout the first Trump administration.

“We’d like a everlasting finish to congestion pricing efforts, full cease. Lengthy Island commuters can’t afford one other tax,” Gillen wrote on the social media website X after Politico New York first reported on the governor’s efforts to restart the toll program.

Andrew Albert, a member of the MTA board, stated he supported the return of the charge however frightened that $9 wouldn’t be sufficient to realize the coverage’s targets.

“It would not increase sufficient cash, it doesn’t clear sufficient vehicles off the streets or make the air clear sufficient,” he stated.

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