Corey vows congestion price plan

Council Speaker Corey Johnson Friday said he'd swerve around Albany and make the city pass a congestion pricing plan.

Johnson said he's exploring the use of the city's “home rule” authority to tax drivers who take their vehicles in Manhattan in an effort to crack down on the gridlock and fund mass transit.

Albany lawmakers have only passed a partial congestion pricing plan, only taxing Manhattan trips in yellow taxis and appbased car service, below 96th St.

“I think we have potential home rule authority that we're willing to look at,” Johnson said at New York Law School. “It is always cleaner and easier if Albany does it because of the vast powers that Albany has through our state constitution over the city of New York. But if there's going to be an action we will take a look at what our potential authority and powers are.”

Mayor de Blasio has been at times cool or critical to the idea of congestion pricing, once calling it a “regressive” tax.

His predecessor Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to get a congestion pricing plan through the state Legislature in 2008, but the Assembly leader, Sheldon Silver, killed it.

Johnson last exercised the Council's muscle to relaunch the city's speed camera program for school zones when Albany lawmakers left for summer recess without reauthorizing it.

Johnson had help from an executive order by Gov. Cuomo helped by issuing an executive order forcing the Department of Motor Vehicles share information with the city.

De Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips declined to comment.