NY Gov Hochul delays controversial NYC congestion pricing plan ‘indefinitely’. ( www.cnn.com )

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“After careful consideration I have come to the difficult decision that implementing the planned congestion system risks too many unintended consequences for New Yorkers at this time,” Hochul said during a video briefing from her office in Manhattan.

A source familiar with the Governor’s plan said Hochul pushed for the delay due to concerns about affordability and the potential impact to the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Congestion pricing has been fiercely opposed by some members in the state legislature and New York’s congressional delegation, including some who represent districts outside the five boroughs and worry the toll will result in political backlash from their constituents in a crucial election year, which was part of the governor’s calculus in opting for the delay, the sources said.

City Councilmember Joe Borelli, a Republican who represents parts of Staten Island where the plan is deeply unpopular, said the governor’s decision was blatantly political.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents a congressional district that largely covers a swathe of southern Brooklyn, sought to take a middle path.

“To the extent immediate implementation of congestion pricing is being reconsidered, Leader Jeffries supports a temporary pause of limited duration to better understand the financial impact on working class New Yorkers who have confronted a challenging inflationary environment as a result of the pandemic.

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