New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio rides subway to promote congestion pricing
EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined commuters on the subway Thursday morning to promote congestive pricing.
The mayor -- who was greeted by delays -- rode from City Hall to Harlem aboard the 4 and 6 trains while talking to riders about controversial proposal to charge drivers entering the most congested parts of the city.
The plan would toll all cars south of 61st Street, with all they money going to the MTA to fix the subway system.
"I haven't found a single person who is opposed to the plan that the governor and I put forward," de Blasio said about his trip. "I hear a lot of enthusiasm for it."
Many riders said yes, they agree with the mayor. But others were confused about how congestion pricing will work.
"The subways do need it, and it's nice the mayor advocates for it," one rider said. "Because someone has to."
At an event later in the day, we asked state officials how they'll vote on congestion pricing. Some obviously didn't want to answer.
"I am adamantly (covers mouth) on that issue," state Senator James Sanders joked to laughter.
Still, others demonstrated why congestion pricing might be in trouble in Albany.
"Right now, we're not in favor of congestion pricing the way it is in the form it is today," state Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte said.
The mayor says he'd like to see a vote in Albany on congestion pricing by the budget deadline of April 1. That may not be possible, and it remains unclear if the votes are there.
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