Empire State Today

In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined public transit advocates and environmentalists at a rally in Union Square in support of congestion pricing, a toll on drivers in the busiest parts of Manhattan that she said could help “save this city.”

“From time to time, leaders are called upon to envision a better future, be bold in the implementation and executive, and be undaunted by the opposition,” the governor said to an adoring crowd as she took the rostrum. “That’s how you secure progress. That’s what today is all about.”

Six months later, Hochul abruptly reversed course, espousing a similar rationale on leadership to indefinitely pause the highly anticipated toll just weeks before it was supposed to take effect.