Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/Getty Images

In June, the governor Kathy Hochul shocked New York politicians when she asked the MTA to delay the implementation of her project congestion pricing programarguing that the planned $15 toll would be too great a burden for the average New Yorker. But this week, the governor officially unveiled a revised version of the plan just weeks before Donald Trumpstaunch opponent of the program, is expected to return to the White House. The question now is whether the federal government will be able to eliminate it after January 20.

On Thursday, Hochul announced a new iteration of the congestion pricing program with a $9 toll for drivers traveling at or below 60th Street in Manhattan, one of the city’s busiest and congested areas .

Hochul said that while the toll reduction represents a 40 percent reduction from the original $15 figure, it will still generate $15 billion in revenue allocated to support the MTA’s capital projects. (Drivers arriving in Manhattan after 9 p.m. will be charged even less, and drivers earning less than $50,000 will be eligible for a 50 percent discount after racking up ten tolls in a month.) The federal government will have to approve the amended amount of the toll and sign an agreement, which should happen next week, two months into President Joe Biden’s term.

Hochul’s announcement comes days after Trump secured a second term in the White House. (There was also persistent speculation that the delay was intended to remove the controversial issue from the board before the November election, which Hochul denied.) Trump has been a consistent opponent of congestion pricing and once sworn on social media to “FINISH” the program in his first week in office. In a statement, Trump blasted Hochul’s decision but did not anticipate potential actions he might take once in office. “It will be virtually impossible for New York City to come back as long as the congestion tax is in effect,” Trump said. said. “This will hurt workers, families and businesses, but especially everything related to employment.”

During its first term, the Trump administration has shown a tendency to pause public transportation and infrastructure projects already underway. As noted BorderedTrump dragged his feet on providing federal funding to the Gateway Tunnel Projectwhich involves building new tunnels across the Hudson River and replacing crucial rail infrastructure between New York and New Jersey. The Biden administration in the end funding approved for the project, which is currently underway, but questions remain on whether any future aspects might face delays during a second Trump term.

Opponents of congestion pricing are not limited to the new White House. Amid reports of a looming resurgence of congestion pricing, several New York Republicans issued a letter to Trump, urging him to stop the program from taking effect. House members accused the Biden administration of allowing the MTA program to skip a thorough environmental review process and alleged the agency manipulated the Federal Highway Administration’s toll pilot program to get approval for the congestion pricing.

And the project will continue to have opponents in neighboring New Jersey. Governor Phil MurphyWHO filed a complaint challenge congestion pricing earlier this year citing potential impacts on the state, said in a statement that he is “strongly opposed” to any attempt to implement the program before the new administration takes office and that he will continue to fight this matter in court.

Hochul told reporters that her decision to revive the plan in this way had nothing to do with Trump’s past threats against congestion pricing and that she was not concerned about what actions he might take. once in power. “There are threats every day of the week; I don’t worry about anything. I really don’t,” she said.