State and city government officials on Wednesday joined nonprofit transportation advocates to discuss the urgent need to kick start congestion pricing to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and reduce emissions in the city.
During a panel discussion at the Sustainable Cities Summit held at Brooklyn Borough Hall, electeds and advocates lamented New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s last-minute decision in June to pause the rollout of the congestion pricing program.
Panelists included Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, New York State Senator Liz Krueger, Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the nonprofit Regional Plan Association and Betsy Plum, executive director of Riders Alliance. Mike Flynn, New York general manager of city solutions at TYLin Group, an engineering firm, moderated the conversation.
Slevin was disheartened by how long it took city and state officials to draft the plan, only for it be paused.
“When I started working on congestion pricing I wasn't a mom, and now I have a high schooler,” she said.
The proposed program would impose a $15 fee for vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street, excluding the West Side Highway, Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. The initiative aims to reduce traffic and emissions while generating $12 billion to help cover maintenance costs on subways and buses.
Senator Krueger condemned Hochul’s reversal.
“It doesn't matter what the date in the bill is. Because there's a real date out there. It's called the end of the world. And we don't have any control over that schedule. So we better do it faster," she said of the delays and the potential environmental impact of continued gridlock.
Hochul defended her decision in June, citing concerns about discouraging driving into the city while recovering from the pandemic. Yet, many view her reversal as a political move for Democrats to win votes in suburban areas and downstate New York ahead of the November elections.
Reynoso also criticized Governor Hochul's reticence.
“In politics in New York City, specifically, the people that you see grow in their positions are people that take risks," he stated.
Two lawsuits have been filed against Hochul since her decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing. The suit City Club of New York et al. v. Hochul, says the governor is violating the 2019 MTA Reform and Traffic Mobility Act, which authorized congestion pricing.
The second, brought by Riders Alliance, alleges that the pause breaches the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which mandates a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in New York by 2030. Plum described Hochul’s reversal as “a betrayal.”
While the panel consisted of only those in favor of congestion pricing, a question arose regarding the potential negative impact on cab drivers. Reynoso responded by saying that fees would be significantly reduced for these drivers, with yellow cabs facing a $1.50 charge and Ubers, a $2.00 fee.
Reynoso concluded the event by addressing the lack of diverse opinions on the panel.
“This was not a diverse panel of opinions for a reason. It’s not easy to do difficult things, and what we wanted to do here is highlight the work of folks that are punching up to get bold things done," he stated.
