Wave of complaints: Supporters demand continuation of the toll program

A new lawsuit seriously questions Governor Kathy Hochul's move to halt the toll program. Two lawsuits filed on Thursday aim to compel Hochul to continue the toll program as planned. According to the plaintiffs, the governor exceeded her authority when she indefinitely postponed the program's start last month. The first lawsuit was filed by the City Club of New York, a civil society organization founded over a century ago. The organization argues that Governor Hochul violated a 2019 law. The toll program was supposed to charge drivers $15 for entering Manhattan below 60th Street to reduce traffic and pollution. The second lawsuit was filed by the Riders Alliance, a grassroots organization of transit riders, along with two environmental groups. They claim that Hochul's actions undermine the state's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change. "Governor Hochul may have reservations about toll collection; perhaps she underestimates the threats of climate change or our need for a reliable, accessible transportation system," said Betsy Plum, Executive Director of the Riders Alliance, at a press conference Thursday morning. But toll collection is still legally mandated, she added. The lawsuits, filed in the New York State Supreme Court, come from a coalition of interest groups and further supporters of the toll collection. The initiative was spearheaded by Brad Lander, the Comptroller of New York City. The group does not rule out additional lawsuits against the suspension of the toll program, Lander said at the press conference. However, his office does not plan to act as a plaintiff in future lawsuits. In a statement on Thursday, Governor Hochul's office commented that numerous lawsuits related to toll collection are pending and accused the plaintiffs of politicizing the judicial system.