Blakeman says he’d end congestion pricing, but how would he do that?

Days before Election Day, Republican gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was back in Manhattan, hosting a press conference on the east side of Central Park to blast congestion pricing and Gov. Kathy Hochul. He pledged to end the $9 toll to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, calling it “nothing more than a tax on the middle class.” But the methods Blakeman gave may not be so simple. 

Asked how he would end congestion pricing, Blakeman initially dodged the question, but when pressed, ultimately offered three options: state legislation to repeal the law, an executive order scrapping it or instructing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to stop enforcement. “I’m controlling the MTA and all of the instruments of government,” he told reporters Tuesday. “I will just end enforcement.”

Each of those approaches pose problems. A governor cannot unilaterally repeal state law by executive order, only temporarily suspend or modify in states of emergency. Legislation would require buy-in from the Democratic-controlled state Legislature; it would be unlikely to side with any Republican governor on that. And ending enforcement would likely result in the MTA defaulting on bonds it has taken out against future congestion tolling revenue to fund $15 billion in capital projects, leaving the state in the lurch for cash and liable to lawsuits. 

Blakeman did not elaborate with further details on the prospect of defaulting on bonds, legal authority or working with the Democratic state Legislature. 

Shortly before congestion pricing was set to take effect in the summer of 2024, Hochul announced a “pause” on implementation. She restarted the program following the 2024 elections, garnering criticism for engaging in a political stunt ahead of the election. But despite President Donald Trump promising he would kill congestion pricing his first day in office, the tolling program went into effect and remains so today. 

Blakeman was quick to point out Hochul’s change in position when first asked about his own plans Tuesday. “Kathy Hochul said we weren’t going to have congestion pricing, and then right after the election, we got congestion pricing,” Blakeman said on Tuesday when asked how he would get rid of congestion pricing. “She's not trustworthy.” 

In a statement responding to Blakeman’s comments Tuesday, Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki leaned into the campaign’s common refrain of tying the Republican candidate to Trump. “While Governor Hochul is making our subways safer, investing billions into public safety, and funding public transit … Bruce Blakeman is once again taking Trump’s side instead of standing up for New York,” Radulovacki said.