New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said on Wednesday that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s move to halt congestion pricing may violate several state and federal laws — and laid out plans to file lawsuits to force her to move ahead with the tolling program.
The comptroller argued that Hochul's move violated a 2019 state law that established congestion pricing. He said the governor’s pause may also violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act because the MTA planned to rely on the toll revenue to pay for work that would make dozens of subway stations wheelchair-accessible. Her move could also break state climate laws because the tolls were expected to reduce air pollution from cars, Lander said.
MTA officials said the program still requires final sign off from the city, Federal Highway Administration, state Department of Transportation and the MTA itself. Congestion pricing would be authorized through the federal “Value Pricing Pilot Program,” but the U.S Department of Transportation has not yet sent along a document allowing all the parties to give their final approval, according to the officials. Until Hochul’s last-minute move to halt the tolls, the document was seen as a formality.
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Source: Gothamist - 🏆 456. / 53 Read more »