Congestion Pricing

No, congestion pricing does not have to do with antihistamines.

New York’s most prominent business leaders, longtime supporters of the congestion pricing proposal to raise money for the MTA and to reduce traffic, are angry at Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to postpone implementation of fees for vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street.

I probably should have been paying more attention to this. Congestion pricing has been an issue for years. It has the potential to be a major influence on transportation with significant environmental benefits. 

Gov. Hochul until recently supported congestion pricing, which was due to start at the end of the month. She suddenly (via a recorded announcement!) changed her mind. The Metropolitan Transit Authority in theory could override her. Doesn't seem at the moment they will. 

Drivers entering Manhattan’s commercial business district south of 60th St. would need to pay a $15 toll. Without that money, the MTA can have a billion-dollar deficit. Gov. Hochul has no clear explanation of where this money will come from. She denies it was a political decision.

Democrats in the state and federal legislatures are divided. My state senator strongly supports congestion pricing. The House Minority Leader supports a pause. His political decision-making has been at times questionable, including supporting a moderate/conservative-leaning Court of Appeals nominee that received strong opposition. I'm wary of the guy.

Gov. Hochul has been strongly criticized for how she has been handling this. It is shocking (not really) that an upstater / Cuomo's lieutenant governor has been a dubious character on various issues. I worry if she continues to look so weak, the Republicans will manage to find one of those blue-state "reasonable types" that win governors' races. 

The whole story has a big "to be continued" feel. One major reaction is that this underlines the questionable nature of how New York runs things. Why should the governor have this much power to bring to a halt congestion pricing? It should be up to the legislature to handle funding matters.

Maybe, we want the MTA to be one of those independent authorities. But, if the governor's tail is wagging the MTA's dog, how useful is it? 

The final concern is political. A major factor is that suburban swing districts tend to find this an unpleasant policy. I put aside how fair that would be as a matter of good policy. 

Nonetheless, the general argument seems to be that her move here won't help much even there. 

===

Meanwhile, the Mets are playing two games in London. 

The first game was earlier today (a bad inning led to a loss). The second airs at 10AM EST. Both games are not on SNY though home fans could listen to familiar voices who are actually Mets-friendly on the radio.  

I think these international games are fun and good for baseball. My preference would be to have a bunch of Latin American games too. I remember back in the day when the Bobby Valentine Mets went to Japan. Real "Bad News Bears" energy there!

Well, that's something: Former Met Daniel Murphy defeated Phillies Icon Chase Utley in a Home Run Derby in Trafalgar Square, London on Friday night.