It’s great to see Gov. Hochul working with President Trump on behalf of New York, but her plea for his support on her congestion-pricing scheme doesn’t seem to be gaining traction — and that’s good news.
Hochul’s new toll on Midtown drivers is clobbering the region — and Trump seems to know it.
He and the gov spoke twice last week. Sources say he may make a decision as soon as this week on whether to try to kill the Midtown tax.
Yet already the prez has hinted that’s exactly what he’ll do — kill it: Just last week, he reportedly tapped ex-Rep. Marc Molinaro, a fierce congestion-pricing foe, to head the Federal Transit Administration.
And back in November, Trump told The Post, “I have great respect for the governor of New York . . . But I strongly disagree with the decision on the congestion tax.”
As Nicole Gelinas recently noted, the MTA failed to submit a full environmental impact statement assessing the program’s fallout outside Midtown, so “Trump’s DOT could retroactively revoke the federal government’s approval of the toll.”
As head of the FTA, Molinaro would be in a key position to influence that decision.
Molinaro would also be able to demand reforms to bring down the MTA’s off-the-charts infrastructure and operating costs. That could save New Yorkers (and perhaps even non-New York taxpayers) a bundle.
Notably, the agency is counting on FTA assistance to fund part of its $68.4 billion five-year capital plan; in 2023, it got a $3.4 billion FTA grant to extend the Second Avenue Subway.
Having Molinaro in such a key post — with the power of the federal government behind him — could only be a blessing for New York.
Even if it conflicts with agenda of local pols like Hochul.
