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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul halted a plan to charge most motorists $15<\/a> to enter the core of Manhattan, upending the nation\u2019s first\u00a0\u201ccongestion pricing\u201d<\/a>\u00a0system on Wednesday just weeks before it was set to launch.<\/p>\n The announcement dealt a stunning blow to a program, years in the making, that was intended to raise billions of dollars for New York\u2019s beleaguered subways and commuter rails while reducing emissions and gridlock on the city\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n In a pre-recorded video statement, Hochul, a Democrat, said she had arrived at the \u201cdifficult decision that implementing the planned congestion pricing system risks too many unintended consequences at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n She cited New York\u2019s fragile economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the financial burden that the toll would pose on state residents struggling with inflation, as reasons to \u201cindefinitely pause the program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA $15 charge might not seem like a lot to someone who has the means but it can break the budget of a hardworking or middle class household,\u201d Hochul said. \u201cIt puts the squeeze on the very people who make this city go.\u201d<\/p>\n The program was scheduled to begin on June 30, five years after it was first signed into law by the former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and more than a decade after it was first proposed. It had divided many in the region, pitting drivers against those who rely on the city\u2019s public transit system.<\/p>\n Until Wednesday, Hochul had been one of the plan\u2019s staunchest backers, describing the \u201ctransformative\u201d impact it would have on the climate and the city\u2019s transit services as recently as two weeks ago.<\/p>\n The abrupt reversal sent shockwaves through New York\u2019s political circles, while raising questions among transportation advocates about how the state would pay for badly needed transit upgrades previously slated to be funded by the toll revenue.<\/p>\n Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the Regional Plan Association, a nonprofit advocacy group, called the move \u201ca total betrayal of New Yorkers and our climate.\u201d<\/p>\n As the plan neared its launch date, it drew increasing pushback from commuters and officials in the city\u2019s suburbs. Hochul, who is helping to lead Democrats\u2019 efforts to retake congressional seats in New York, has largely geared her political strategy toward addressing the concerns of suburban voters.<\/p>\n U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat who represents a Hudson Valley district north of the city, touted his role in killing the plan, noting in a statement that he\u2019s \u201cproud to say we\u2019ve stopped congestion pricing in its tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n Other opponents of the plan \u2014 including unions representing teachers and police officers, truckers and several officials in New Jersey and Connecticut \u2014 also celebrated the decision.<\/p>\n\n