Following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to restart congestion pricing on Thursday, Danny Pearlstein, policy and communications director for the Riders Alliance, said the group is meeting with its lawyers to determine the next steps in its ongoing lawsuit against the governor.

The Riders Alliance had joined a coalition of groups suing Hochul after she paused the program in June. The governor was required to respond to the lawsuit by Friday.

While the fate of the lawsuit remains unclear, Pearlstein said it “has done the trick” in getting Hochul to move forward with a revised congestion pricing plan.

“As the governor pointed out on Tuesday, she follows the law. As she said yesterday, the pause is coming to an end,” Pearlstein said during an interview on “Mornings On 1” Friday.

The congestion pricing plan, which would charge drivers with E-ZPass a $9 toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, aims to reduce traffic and fund public transportation improvements. While some continue to oppose the program, Pearlstein emphasized that the reduction in traffic is too vital to delay.

“Every percent counts when it comes to ambulance speeds, bus speeds and businesses' ability to make more deliveries,” he said. “We know that there will be savings, and we know the savings will be significant across the city.”

Pearlstein also supported the governor’s decision to reduce the toll price from $15 to $9, noting the affordability challenges faced by many New Yorkers. He acknowledged the toll may still seem steep but said that the funds are essential for much-needed transit system improvements.

“The governor saw the issue of affordability and cost of living from the start, and of course, we did, too,” he said. “But transit affordability is key for people who come into Manhattan since most get here by public transit, not by car.”

Despite the restart, Pearlstein said he is concerned about the program’s future as opposition from groups, including incoming President Donald Trump, have vowed to halt the tolling program in January.

“Every city, state and federal-level environmental organization is in strong support of the program. The Biden Federal Highway Administration has studied it rigorously under environmental laws,” Pearlstein said. “But that said, we are not breathing easy until the first tolls are collected, right? We've seen a lot of false starts, and we’ve seen some false promises.”

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Riders Alliance was dropping its lawsuit.