Kathy Hochul has privately exchanged anxieties about moving forward on congestion pricing with business leaders, political advisers and, in her telling, a great number of ordinary New Yorkers in diners.
The move to abandon a plan that was decades in the making jolted lawmakers, real estate leaders, transit advocates and other stakeholders.
The governor said she was reluctant to deter people from driving to New York City when its economic recovery was still fragile; critics called it an election year ploy to help Democrats in suburban districts where congestion pricing is notably unpopular.
Ms. Hochul’s announcement was particularly jarring given her past championing of the plan.
Indeed, as recently as this year, the governor stressed the need to get vehicles off the road — a dissonance that has fed a sense of duplicity and a feeling of betrayal among those who considered her an ally.
Persons:
Kathy Hochul
Organizations:
Gov
Locations:
Manhattan, New York City