By Kayleigh Anderson
A few weeks after Governor Kathy Hochul announced she was temporarily pausing congestion pricing, the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) voted 10-1 to do the same.
Because the pricing plan has been placed on hold for now, $16.5 billion in capital projects will be “on the back burner,” said MTA Chair Janno Lieber during the June 26b executive session. “No matter how we feel about the pause on congestion pricing, we’re going to work with everyone — the governor, the executive chamber, the [state] Legislature, the feds — to find ways to preserve and revive the projects.”
Lieber said it is “just a reality” that the MTA “cannot implement congestion without the New York State DOT’s [Department of Transportation] signoff.” However, he expressed optimism that some of the repair projects will be completed once the temporary pause is lifted.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Hochul — facing political pressure on this issue — decided at the last minute to hit the pause button on the congestion pricing program. She made this announcement during a press conference on June 5 in which she addressed the issues of affordability and the cost of living and how it affects New Yorkers.
Hochul pointed out that she worked with the MTA to secure the necessary funding for major capital projects. “This administration’s proven commitment to the MTA, as well as my record of delivering resources for critical priorities in the State budget, should provide the MTA with full confidence in future funding streams,” she said in a statement. “While the timing of the next budget may necessitate temporary adjustments to the timeline of certain contracts, there is no reason for New Yorkers to be concerned that any planned projects will not be delivered.
“In the interim, the MTA has committed to direct all available resources to ensure the system remains in a state of good repair and continue to advance priority projects, and prepare to activate new contracts immediately following the designation of new revenue sources in next year’s budget,” Hochul concluded.
But Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) accused Hochul of “political posturing” on this issue.
“Nevertheless, an IOU will not resolve the serious concerns raised about future capital funding,” Ra said in a statement. “While halting congestion pricing was a necessary move, the sudden pivot to find alternative funding sources requires thoughtful consideration. … A ‘solution’ crafted behind closed doors will be doomed to fail just like congestion pricing. Talk of new taxes demands scrutiny, not secrecy. New Yorkers deserve transparency and a say in how their hard-earned money is spent.”
Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, who sued the MTA over the congestion pricing proposal, was glad to hear the news on the pause.
“Today is a clear win for the residents of the Town of Hempstead, and I am proud to have led the charge against the Governor’s newest commuter tax,” he said in a statement.
However, Clavin believes Hochul will bring back congestion pricing next year “once she no longer has to shield her Democrat allies from the political blowback of her deeply unpopular policies. We’ve seen her fold in the face of political pressure before just to try to revive supposedly ‘dead’ policies at a later date, so the Town is committed to following through on seeking a permanent injunction against this unconstitutional tax.”
Additional reporting by Hank Russell