New York’s governor caves on congestion pricing

Congestion pricing is the bitter pill that no community wants to swallow. Kathy Hochul, the New York state governor trying to take a stand against addictive phones, is the latest politician to cave. She’s put an “indefinite pause” on plans to introduce congestion pricing below 60th street in Manhattan. Last November, Hochul said leaders should be bold in implementing congestion zones and “undaunted by the opposition”. If only she’d stuck it through. Research shows that while pricing pollution polls badly at first, voters are quick to feel the benefits. Stockholm’s trial in 2007 faced pushback from a majority of local residents but four years later 70 per cent had a positive view. The story is similar in London, where a majority now agree that the ultra-low emission zone has improved air quality. Hochul’s excuse for scrapping the planned $15 fee for daytime commuters was to preserve the city’s economic recovery. The sadder subtext is that, in an age of polarisation, big ideas are hard to stick to.