Siena Poll: NY Congestion Pricing Pause Popular

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's decision to pause Manhattan congestion pricing is supported by a 45% plurality of the state's registered voters, according to a new Siena College Research Institute poll.

Despite their approval of the Democrat governor's decision to indefinitely pause the tolling plan, voters were not impressed by Hochul's overall performance, as her approval numbers slid slightly from the last survey Siena conducted to hit a record low.

Twenty-three percent said they oppose the decision to put the congestion pricing plan on hold, while 16% said they were in the middle on the subject; 17% did not offer an opinion.

Hochul's about-face on the plan has rankled progressives, environmentalists, and business leaders, who call it a setback for mass transit funding and air pollution reduction, yet no more than three in 10 of voters polled across 26 demographic categories Siena provided opposed her move. The largest segments of opposition came from Democrats (28%), liberals (30%), New York City voters (30%), and Latinos (33%).

"There's little partisan difference when it comes to Hochul's end-of-session surprise decision to put congestion pricing on hold," Siena spokesperson Steve Greenberg said in a statement to Politico. "It is supported by 46 percent of Democrats, 45 percent of Republicans and 43 percent of independents, all large pluralities."

Support for the pause was strongest in the suburbs, where it was backed by 56% of respondents, compared to 18% of suburban residents who were against it. The survey found a sharp divide between men and women, with 52% of men supporting the governor's decision to pause versus 39% of women.

Hochul's approval numbers dipped in the latest Siena poll, with just 38% of voters viewing her favorably and 49% viewing her unfavorably. In May's Siena poll, she was viewed favorably by 38% and unfavorably by 46%.

Even as Democrats and left-leaning activists consider mounting a primary challenge over her congestion pricing move when Hochul is up for reelection in 2026, the most recent survey found that she remains popular with 56% of party voters.

The share of voters who said Hochul "cares about people like you" fell from 45% to 34%, while 42% said she "works hard for the people of New York," down from 47%. Thirty-three percent said she "effectively collaborates with other government leaders," which dropped from 40%.

The poll was conducted June 12-13 and 16-17 and surveyed 805 registered voters in the state of New York. It has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.