Congestion Pricing in New York City Postponed Indefinitely

Congestion pricing in New York City, which was previously set to begin on June 30, has been indefinitely postponed.

Read the full story on ABC News HERE. 

The plan was to charge a $15 toll for cars driving south of 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. BroadwayWorld previously reported on how this change might affect Broadway audiences. Approximately 35% of Broadway show attendances were by people from the New York City metropolitan area (21.7% from New York City and 13.6% from the surrounding suburbs).

"Congestion pricing is “another nail in the coffin for Broadway," Broadway producer Robert Cole had shared with Forbes. “You cannot keep layering expenses and costs onto the theatre experience."

The reasons for the delay are stated to be that Governor Kathy Hochul does not believe the timing is right due to businesses not having fully recovered from the pandemic, and because Democrats are facing difficult House races in the New York City suburbs where the congestion pricing plan is unpopular.

The plan was created to reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan and produce $1 billion a year in revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Elizabeth Adams, deputy executive director for public affairs for Transportation Alternatives stated,

"Delaying congestion pricing is a slap in the face to the millions of New Yorkers who rely on public transportation every day just to appease the program's loudest foes... Congestion pricing is a $15 billion lifeline for the MTA -- critical funding that will be lost if the program is stalled." She went on to say, "The next time your train is late, your bus is trapped in traffic, your subway station is still missing an elevator, you know who to blame: Governor Kathy Hochul."

Read more HERE.