Congestion Pricing To Remain In Effect As LIRR Strike Continues, Hochul Says

LONG ISLAND, NY — In a week already beset by commuter chaos, congestion pricing is going nowhere, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said.

The Manhattan driving toll has faced renewed calls for its suspension this week after Long Island Railroad employees went on strike Saturday morning, leaving commuters across Long Island to scramble for alternate routes into work as train service came to a stop.

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Among those calling for the strike-prompted suspension of congestion pricing is Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, who called suspending the plan during the strike “the least Hochul could do” in remarks made Sunday at the Long Beach LIRR station.

Joining Blakeman was Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti.

“If the MTA cannot provide service, Albany should not be reaching deeper into commuters’ pockets,” Ferretti said. “I joined Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in calling for congestion pricing to be immediately suspended for the duration of this shutdown and for real relief to be delivered to the people footing the bill for another transit failure. Long Islanders should not have to pay the price for the state’s dysfunction.”

Despite what her Long Island counterparts said on the matter, Hochul’s office pointed to a Sunday interview with CBS News’ John Dias as a response.

“There's actually no legal mechanism to do that. Anyone who tells you they can doesn't understand federal law,” Hochul said. “And I want to stress what we're encouraging people to do is stay home, not to divert this into a campaign event. This is serious business, and I want to make sure that people know that we hope to have a very shortened strike. That's our hope, but we're prepared for anything that happens.”