Gov. Kathy Hochul pitched President Donald Trump on the merits of congestion pricing for more than an hour at the White House Friday, showing off a 22-page presentation titled “New York: Fast, Strong, Beautiful” that includes a photo of Trump Tower.
Hochul met with Trump to defend charging drivers who enter Manhattan below 60th Street with early data that suggests the program is an economic win for the region. She noted that gridlock is down and traffic to local businesses is up, among other talking points.
“I did my very best; the fight’s not over,” Hochul said during an appearance at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s monthly board meeting Wednesday, at which she described the White House visit.
She declined to say what Trump had to say in response, calling her visit to the Oval Office “an interesting trip.”
Hochul did not project confidence that her pitch had the desired effect on the president and his top advisors. She added that the fate of congestion pricing likely will be settled by a judge in what promises to be a lengthy legal battle. The MTA filed a lawsuit in New York federal court after the Trump administration announced last week that it will rescind approval for the toll.
“When someone tries to say, no, we have another vision for your city, we just have to say we respectfully disagree, and take that to the courts,” said Hochul. “I’ll put [the president] up against the power of 6 million pissed off commuters in New York City.”
