A few months ago, Gov. Kathy Hochul put the widely despised congestion pricing tax program on hold. Manhattanites and anti-car zealots were aghast. Didn’t the governor care about easing traffic? Didn’t she care about cleaner air? Didn’t she care about generating revenue in order to save the city subway system?

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is resurrecting a toll on people driving into the busiest parts of Manhattan but at a lower cost, a move her allies hope will allow the nation’s first system of congestion pricing to begin operating before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.

Congestion pricing will start in January with a $9 toll, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.  Hochul wants to restart the program with a lower cost, which is why it's being reduced from $15 for most daytime trips into Manhattan's Central Business District.