Hochul needs to call the bluff of the MTA fearmongers — and fully kill congestion pricing

Suspicions are widespread that the MTA is trying to pressure Gov. Hochul into letting congestion pricing go ahead after all by halting construction to increase accessibility at two LIRR stations, and similar refits, stopping work on the Second Avenue Subway and even raising fears about basic subway maintenance.

Yet much of the scare campaign is from the “transit advocates” who nearly saddled the city with those idiotic tolls, and Hochul’s best response is to announce that congestion pricing isn’t just temporarily halted — it’s dead for the long term.

The gov arguably invited this sniping by leaving that question open.

Fact is, we identified “accessibility” work as one of the first things to halt when she pulled the plug.

This is not to write off the mobility-challenged people who’ll benefit, but only to say it’s not where to put any of the agency’s scarce resources right now.

Plus, the MTA’s Access-a-Ride service gives those straphangers other options in the meantime.

The Second Avenue extension is another obvious candidate: It’d be great to have, but it can wait.

The congestion tolls would have dinged Manhattan drivers $15 or more, slamming the economy of the city’s main business districts and many who work there.

Losing the borrowing power it would’ve gained from $1 billion a year in tolls, the MTA has to put off most capital outlays, and prioritize “state-of-good-repair” work that keeps the trains running.

And that’s exactly what the agency is doing.

As for the supposed risk that vital maintenance must wait: If MTA chief Janno Lieber really thinks he can’t continue that, he should resign in protest, and make way for someone who can get it done.

The real betrayal of straphangers is the refusal of city district attorneys to prosecute freeloading turnstile-jumpers, who cost the system hundreds of millions a year.

And the politicians who prevent the MTA from getting tough with its unions to scale back overtime, which cost it MTA a record $1.37 billion last year.

Expanding subway lines and increasing accessibility are fine goals for the future, and can still happen — eventually.

But not at the price of bleeding average New Yorkers.

The gov needs to stick to her guns on the tolls; make it plain they’re never going to happen — and tell the “advocates” to start finding practical ways to fund their dream projects.