Uber, Lyft spent thousands and thousands pushing for NYC congestion pricing —and stand to make killing

Uber and Lyft poured thousands and thousands of {dollars} into efforts to legalize congestion tolling — and so they stand to be among the many greatest winners.

Uber spent $2 million alone from 2015 to 2019 to advertise congestion pricing, roughly $1 million of which went to among the metropolis’s high lobbyists, the firm confirmed to The Submit in 2019.

Since then, each and Uber and Lyft have continued to rent high lobbyists to assist persuade key state and metropolis officers to approve the controversial levy, together with Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, information present.

It’s unclear how a lot the businesses spent lobbying for congestion pricing as a result of the lobbyists employed labored on a number of points, and officers information don’t break it down.

The ride-share firms declined to supply The Submit a breakdown — and even an estimate — of its lobbying bills.

Lyft — which additionally personal the CitiBike program — has additionally straight contributed to pols who’ve been pushing the polarizing scheme.

Lyft poured over $125,000 into state campaigns since 2020 – together with $18,500 the previous 4 years to Hochul, who pushed it ahead after a quick pause close to the election, information present.

It additionally donated $10,000 in 2020 to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who backed congestion pricing when he was in workplace however now desires to hit the brakes on it.

It’s been cash effectively spent.

The rising business — which bought an enormous enhance final 12 months when the metropolis lifted a cap on what number of for-hire automobiles might be on the street — stands to make a killing as a result of the brand new surcharge is each cheaper than the $9 charge personal automobiles pays to enter components of Manhattan, and the $2.90 straphangers pay to take subways and buses, critics say.

The ride-hailing providers can be slapped with an extra $1.50 surcharge for Manhattan journeys under sixtieth Avenue. However the further prices can be handed on to clients — similar to an analogous $2.75 “congestion charge” on all journeys under 96^th Avenue approved in 2019.

“That is company greed at its worst,” stated Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens), who opposes congestion tolling. “These firms will cease at nothing to rewrite the principles of their favor whereas leaving chaos of their wake.”

The brand new tolls match “proper into” Uber and Lyft’s “enterprise mannequin to cost a premium for entry to the scarcest road — these in core Manhattan” – and its clients will profit from sooner service with much less vehicles on the road, stated Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow on the Manhattan Institute.

“The sudden sticker shock right here received’t be felt by Uber and Lyft or their passengers, however by the common driver,” she stated.

Susan Lee, one of many plaintiffs in a slew of lawsuits in search of to cease the congestion tolling, blamed the for-hire business for “pushing” congestion tolling and flooding metropolis streets with its roughly 100,000 automobiles — inflicting a lot of NYC’s gridlock.

“If the motivation is to incentivize folks to take mass transit, then the brand new charge for for-hire automobiles ought to be equal to” the $2.90 value for a bus or subway trip,” Lee stated.

Josh Gold, a Uber spokesman, stated the corporate was “early supporters of congestion pricing — and nonetheless is — however “authorities can’t proceed to boost costs and costs on New Yorkers and anticipate no penalties.”

Lyft spokesman CJ Macklin stated “we’re supportive of congestion pricing and the constructive impacts it might have on our metropolis, but it surely have to be completed in an equitable means.”

“Our business has already been paying a congestion charge since 2019 that has generated greater than $1 billion in income to the MTA,” he stated. “We don’t suppose riders ought to be double taxed, and we lobbied arduous for them to be exempt from this new further $1.50 congestion charge.”