NY lawmakers were 'blindsided' by congestion pricing pause: Assemblywoman Gallagher

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Now that congestion pricing is indefinitely suspended, many questions have risen, including what will happen to the projects the MTA had planned.

Under the congestion pricing plan, cars entering Manhattan below 60th Street would be charged a $15 toll during peak hours. Trucks and buses would be charged between $24 to $36, depending on their size.

Toll revenue generated from congestion pricing was expected to fund $15 billion in capital improvements for the MTA. That included $12 billion in funding for the subway and bus system and $1.5 billion each for the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad, according to the MTA.

Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher talked with PIX on Politics host Dan Mannarino about the initial reaction to the announcement and what discussions are being held moving forward.

Gallagher said lawmakers are getting used to Hochul "blindsiding" them with unrelated topics when they are trying to pass a major policy, but the pivot on congestion pricing was still a surprise.

"We were expecting something strange to happen, but I don't think any of us had this on their Bingo card," said Gallagher.

Watch the video player for the full interview.