Monday, December 2, 2024
Halloween is over, but Gov. Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing plan is still haunting New Yorkers. This might even feel like Groundhog Day to those who read my column on congestion pricing in June, when we celebrated the delay but also exposed the true political motivations behind the proposal.
The governor’s decision to “pause” congestion pricing this summer temporarily stopped tolls that would have made travel into Manhattan’s busiest areas even more costly. Now, with state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warning of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s worsening financial troubles, congestion pricing is back on the table, threatening to add yet another burden to New Yorkers already facing record-high costs.
When the governor announced the delay in June, I called for the Legislature to hold hearings. We had a real opportunity to hear directly from those affected and find a path forward for MTA funding that didn’t involve hiking fees for middle-class commuters. Instead, we wasted valuable time while the MTA’s financial troubles have only deepened.
The comptroller now reports a massive authority shortfall in its operating budget of at least $211 million this year, and DiNapoli is warning of a potential $1.5 billion gap next year if no action is taken. These operating budget shortfalls will add to the MTA’s financial crisis, especially when you couple this with its massive $68 billion capital plan.
On top of these challenges, new taxes and fees — like last year’s payroll mobility tax hike — have only placed additional financial burdens on New Yorkers without achieving the intended results. Despite this tax increase aimed specifically at supporting the MTA, the agency is still running a deficit. The shortfall underscores a deeper issue: Even with new revenue from the proposed congestion tolls, the MTA continues to struggle with high operating costs and budgetary mismanagement.
This measure unfairly targets hard-working, middle-class commuters and imposes harmful extra fees on taxis and for-hire drivers, effectively taxing their means of making a living. We can’t keep piling on taxes and fees without addressing these underlying problems, or we risk pushing families, workers and businesses out of New York altogether. There are too many questions about the agency’s budget management to make congestion pricing the default solution.
We have seen firsthand the inefficiency and lack of transparency in the MTA. The agency has consistently over-promised and under-delivered, costing taxpayers more with each misstep. Pushing for increased use of public transportation over private vehicles without addressing the
MTA’s well-known reliability issues will only increase congestion in an already troubled system. The public deserves a clear accounting of where these funds are going and how decisions are being made. Lawmakers, too, deserve the chance to ask hard questions and consider practical solutions. The answer is not to rush into congestion pricing to cover up a failing system, but rather to bring forward a thoughtful, public process that thoroughly examines the MTA’s spending and governance.
Hochul suggested that the delay was intended to protect New York City’s delicate economic recovery from the impact of reduced commuter-driven business. But it was really a strategic decision to curry favor in suburban areas where the plan faces significant opposition, particularly before a key election. The so-called “indefinite” delay was set to last only until Nov. 6. Now that election season is over, congestion pricing will likely return during the upcoming state budget cycle, because the plan was ultimately designed to generate revenue, not to solve the fundamental problems with our transportation system.
The Legislature should not be a rubber stamp for closed-door deals that impact millions of lives. It’s time to bring this conversation out into the open, hear from stakeholders and make the MTA’s fiscal health a topic of thorough public debate. Without accountability, New Yorkers will just keep paying more for the same services. Rather than “unpausing” a broken solution and rushing into a costly toll scheme, let’s focus on addressing the root issues in a way that doesn’t sacrifice our workers and families to endless new taxes.
Ed Ra represents the 19th Assembly District, and is the ranking Republican member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
