Lee Zeldin hits Kathy Hochul on congestion tolls, subway crime at track-push stop

Republican challenger Lee Zeldin blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday for supporting the MTA’s controversial congestion pricing toll plan — and said the best way to get drivers out of their cars would be to make the subways safer.

During a news conference outside the Bronx subway station where a man was pushed onto the tracks on Saturday, Zeldin criticized the Democratic incumbent for not tackling the issue of crime underground.

“If you want more people to be using public transportation, the answer isn’t to punish people into using public transportation more — it’s to improve their ridership experience,” Zeldin said.

Zeldin highlighted a series of recent attacks on subway riders, including the unprovoked attack on Elizabeth Gomes, 33, and the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jayjon Burnett.

“I come across people all the time who tell me that they aren’t riding the subway anymore,” he said.

“I come across people who tell me that the hours that they ride the subway have been impacted. They’ll only ride the subways during particular hours that are shorter than the period that they used to ride the subway.”

Zeldin — who’s pledged, if elected, to declare a “crime emergency” that critics contend would be unconstitutional — also said congestion pricing would ironically increase traffic in The Bronx and other outer boroughs due to Manhattan-bound drivers using local roads to avoid up to $23 in new tolls.

Thus far, no official has been willing to commit to exemptions for such drivers as yellow taxis, who would have to repeatedly drive in and out of the toll zones, or commuters who already pay a hefty toll just to get into Manhattan.

During a Democratic primary debate in June, Hochul declared she was “100%” in favor of congestion pricing, a week after city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was the only candidate to say the plan should be enacted “now.”

Mayor Eric Adams said congestion pricing was needed “ASAP” while running for office last year but has since backpedaled, complaining that the city “has very little input.”

“How is this going to impact a high-asthma district and make sure we aren’t being unfair to the outer boroughs?” Hizzoner asked during an event last month sponsored by Crain’s New York.

Adams also called for a “thoughtful conversation” about who would be exempted from paying the new tolls “and under what circumstance.”

“I am open to do that and make sure that we get it right,” he said.

Also Monday, Zeldin was endorsed by the Coalition of Suffolk Police Unions, an umbrella group of law enforcement officials from his home base on Long Island,