The MTA begrudgingly rubber-stamped Gov. Kathy Hochul’s indefinite pause of congestion pricing throughout a heated board assembly on Wednesday.
The ten-1 vote indefinitely slammed the brakes on $15 tolls for drivers heading into Manhattan south of sixtieth Road — and can successfully defer $16.5 billion for a slew of main initiatives such because the Second Avenue subway, officers stated.
However Janno Lieber, the MTA’s prime honcho, stated the company should keep able to construct initiatives that will likely be scrapped with out congestion pricing’s $15 billion windfall, within the hope the toll is ultimately resurrected.
“We will likely be able to put Humpty Dumpty again collectively as shortly as doable,” Lieber stated.
The usually monotonous board assembly drew greater than 100 folks, largely congestion pricing supporters who waited on line outdoors the MTA’s Broadway headquarters carrying indicators that learn “Gov, Cease Jamming Up Good Legislation,” “Repair the Subway!” and extra.
Public audio system repeatedly urged the MTA board to “unpause the pause” and “flip the change” on the tolling cameras.
“We needs to be celebrating a June thirtieth begin date, not ready to listen to what accessibility initiatives will likely be lower, how lengthy we’ll look forward to sign upgrades and station enhancements,” stated Lisa Daglian, government director of the Everlasting Residents Advisory Committee to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Audio system towards the congestion cost, together with president of New Yorkers Towards Congestion Pricing Tax Susan Lee and Assemblymember Michael Tannousis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), have been hissed at by the group.
“I’m a serious opponent of congestion pricing as a result of I imagine, and proof has proven, it could be essentially unfair to the outer boroughs, particularly Staten Island and particularly Bay Ridge,” Tannoussis stated.
“Don’t get me flawed, I’m a person of mass transit. I exploit the Categorical bus and I additionally use the subway. Nevertheless, this plan would have been to the good thing about a couple of and the detriment of many.”
Congestion pricing supporters had hoped board members would thwart Hochul’s pause, however Lieber argued that the tolls couldn’t go ahead with out the approval from the state division of transportation — that means the governor.
Hochul, as New York’s governor, nominates each voting MTA board member, with 4 really useful by New York Metropolis’s mayor and one other three put respectively put ahead by the executives of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties.
Mayor Eric Adams’ key appointees on the board — Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and Metropolis Planning Director Dan Garodnick — voted for the pause. Hizzoner has stated little concerning the governor’s determination, although, throughout a Metropolis Corridor briefing Tuesday, prompt lowering double parking may very well be an answer to deal with congestion.
Joshi stated the pause or “transition” can be utilized to enhance the congestion toll program, corresponding to offering exemptions or reduction for sure employees to “get it throughout the end line.”
The only “no” vote was David Mack, a Nassau County developer and congestion pricing opponent who appeared to nod off through the assembly.
He stated he voted towards the decision as a result of he didn’t suppose it could completely scrap tolls.
“Within the lengthy image I can not vote for this decision,” Mack stated.
Hochul, for her half, issued a prolonged assertion after the vote touting her help for public transit and never as soon as mentioning congestion pricing.
She as an alternative promised unnamed “new income sources” will likely be present in subsequent yr’s funds — a probably tall order provided that lawmakers shot down the governor’s earlier last-ditch funding plans for the MTA on the tail-end of the legislative session.
“Whereas the timing of the subsequent funds might necessitate momentary changes to the timeline of sure contracts, there isn’t a purpose for New Yorkers to be involved that any deliberate initiatives is not going to be delivered,” Hochul’s assertion reads.
Past the Second Avenue subway extension, the MTA will defer sign upgrades to 6 strains, halt deliberate accessibility enhancements, purchase 250 fewer electrical buses and scrap upgrades to 5 stations, transit officers stated.
Many MTA board members saved holding out hope their vote would solely approve a short lived, not everlasting, pause.
Lieber additionally signaled the congestion pricing cameras will keep up.
“We are able to preserve the equipment of congestion pricing in working order so it’s prepared when the momentary pause is in reality lifted.”
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