An MTA board member, who described the sudden congestion pricing pause as a shock, said the board still needs to vote on whether to keep the planned June 30 launch.

Andrew Albert, a nonvoting member of the MTA board and chair of the New York City Transit Riders Council, said there has been a lack of clarity surrounding next steps after Gov. Kathy Hochul on June 6 announced a pause on the tolling plan.

"It was like a punch to the stomach. We've been planning congestion pricing and the many great benefits to the MTA that it will bring for years and years," Albert said during an interview on "Mornings On 1" Monday. "I have not heard word one about where we go from here."

The congestion pricing plan was set to charge drivers with an E-ZPass a $15 fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, also known as the Central Business District. The plan was designed to generate at least $1 billion a year for the MTA to pay for service and infrastructure improvements.

The MTA board still has to vote on whether it will keep the June 30 deadline, and Albert believes anything could happen.

"I've spoken with some board members; everybody was shocked by this. We're looking to see what is going to happen at the committee meetings on the 24th and then the full board on the 26th of June. Where do we go from here? Will there be a resolution crafted prior to the meeting? Will we all get together prior to that meeting to decide which direction we want to go? This is still an open question right now," he said.

Albert said all but one MTA board member—including those appointed by the governor—had voted to approve congestion pricing prior to the announcement of the June 30 start date.

"I watched the vote on congestion pricing, and it was unanimous with one exception. So the board was definitely on board with making these important, vastly needed improvements to our system," he said.

Albert warned that the delay in congestion pricing would have a significant impact on projects, such as purchasing new subway cars and electric buses, commuter rail enhancements and the Second Avenue subway expansion to 125th Street.