Town Of Hempstead To File Lawsuit Against NY's Congestion Pricing Plan

HEMPSTEAD, NY — The Town of Hempstead is expected to file a lawsuit against Governor Hochul's plan for congestion pricing. The MTA is also named in the suit, according to a town spokesperson.

Congestion pricing is set to start on January 5, charging drivers $9 to enter the city below 60th Street. The Federal Highway Administration approved the proposal, which was welcomed news from the Riders Alliance and its executive director Betsy Plum:

"Decongesting America's most gridlocked neighborhoods will speed up ambulances and cut the massive waste and inefficiency that drive up our grocery bills and put essentials out of reach. Reducing traffic crashes and toxic air pollution will lower healthcare costs," she said. "While a relative few pay a new toll, 20 million Americans in four states will save time, money, and aggravation. Once it starts, congestion pricing will again demonstrate that together we can address our common challenges and improve people's lives."

However, in a statement ahead of Friday's announcement, the town said Hochul was "playing politics," resurrecting congestion pricing only days after the election.

Gordon Tepper, spokesperson for the governor's office, said they "cannot comment on pending litigation."

More broadly, Tepper said of the plan, "The critics of our more affordable plan have still failed to offer any of their own meaningful solutions for reducing gridlock, improving emergency vehicle response times, and strengthening the transit system that is so vital to New York’s economic future."

While MTA didn't respond directly to the lawsuit, they referred us to a comment Chairman Janno Lieber made at the MTA's post-board meeting on Monday. He was asked about the majority of Long Islanders being against congestion pricing.

"There's no question that some people see political advantage in this, but I would remind all of us that less than 1 percent of the population of the region – and that includes on Long Island – is actually going to pay the congestion pricing toll," Lieber said.

The town was planning to detail points of bringing the lawsuit forward, primarily about how millions of New Yorkers were "effectively silenced when the MTA failed to file its amended congestion pricing plan on the New York State Register and open a 45-day public comment period," the town said.