Staten Island, Brooklyn pols rally against congestion pricing as Hochul considers reviving program

In a display of bipartisan unity, elected leaders from across New York City gathered by the foot of the Verrazano Bridge for a rally against the proposed reinstatement of congestion pricing on Nov. 12. 

The coalition, led by recently-reelected Democratic state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, and including U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Council Member Joe Borelli, and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, voiced their strong opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to proceed with congestion pricing.

Scarcella-Spanton, who spearheaded the event, pledged ongoing resistance. “We rallied against it, vocal not only about the financial implications but also the environmental damage,” of the program, she said. She promised she and the coalition of opponents would “fight tooth and nail until congestion pricing is dead.”   

In closing, Scarcella-Spanton urged the governor to maintain the pause on congestion pricing indefinitely: “This is our fight, and we will keep standing up to ensure that the voices of our communities are heard. New Yorkers are fed up, and they will continue to make that clear.”

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