By Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis
August 8, 2022
For the past three years, New Yorkers have suffered under arbitrary lockdowns and unfair mandates. Many lost their jobs, and have been struggling to afford gas, basic necessities, rent, and utilities due to skyrocketing inflation caused by irresponsible spending and government handouts. To say Americans are struggling to get by, especially in high-taxed, poorly managed states like New York - would be a massive understatement.
In the misguided opinion of Governor Hochul, the MTA, and Biden’s Department of Transportation (USDOT), now is the perfect time to implement the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDT), otherwise known as Congestion Pricing. It’s the latest in the left’s “war against cars” to reduce traffic, improve air quality, and address transit revenue gaps by encouraging the use of mass transit. What they conveniently leave out, is just how unproven, ineffective, and costly their latest scheme is for New Yorkers.
Look no further than London - the most congested city in the world, and New York City’s model for its latest congestion pricing scam. Not only was London’s plan extremely unpopular with residents, but the government proposed a total overhaul of the program due to its complete and utter failure.
While traffic in the “congestion zone” may have decreased, it only pushed more traffic to surrounding neighborhoods as drivers tried to avoid a £15 ($20) tax. It also had little to no impact on air quality, as officials have proposed an “Ultra Low Emission Zone” fee and a pay-per-mile charge to combat the overflow of idling vehicles.
But it’s middle-class folks like my constituents on Staten Island who will be the hardest hit by the city’s congestion pricing plan. Staten Islanders already pay a toll to cross the Verrazzano and connect to the rest of our city. If congestion pricing is enacted, it will slam them with an additional toll as high as $35 to drive through Manhattan. In total, drivers would be forced to fork over upwards of $12,000 per year to get to work, school, or receive lifesaving medical treatment. Even worse, to date, Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams have not joined the pleas of local elected officials to give Staten Islanders a credit for tolls they already pay.
This plan serves simply as another cash grab by the city, state, and MTA to take our money to make up for the lost revenue caused by decreasing ridership on our subways. Here’s a better idea, and it won’t cost New Yorkers a dime: Repeal New York’s botched bail law, add more cops and make our subways safe. Maybe then people will want to ride mass transit, tourism will be revived, and businesses and their employees will return. And how about penalizing turnstile jumping again and making everyone pay their fair fare to ride subways and buses?
I’ve been adamantly opposed to congestion pricing since my days in the State Assembly when I voted against it, and now as a Member of Congress, my goal remains to delay the implementation or stop it. I’ve partnered with New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat, to ensure federal funds aren’t used to implement any congestion pricing program until the city completes a full and thorough economic analysis and environmental impact statement, is transparent with the public about the plan’s true impact, and establishes a credit system to provide residents like our constituents with some relief.
At the end of this month, New York City residents and stakeholders will have several opportunities to voice their opposition to this plan. If forceful enough, we may be able to pressure the State and USDOT into more thoroughly examining the impact of this program, potentially delaying its implementation for another one to two years. I will not allow my constituents to become guinea pigs for this first-in-the-nation program or ATMs that are continually drained to fund the MTA’s black hole, and I hope you’ll join me in my efforts to stop it by submitting written testimony of testifying at one of the public sessions.
Government should be encouraging - not punishing - businesses, residents, and tourists to come back to our city, and if London’s trial and error proved one thing: congestion pricing isn’t the way to do it.
