Congestion Pricing ‘Might’ Be Gone, But Hochul Still Wants Your Money

By FrumNews.com 

As a measure to fund the money-bleeding mismanaged MTA that the now-indefinitely delayed congestion pricing scheme was meant to fund, Governor Kathy Hochul has been scrambling to get support for her proposal to hike new business tax hikes to replace the $1 billion per year in expected toll revenue after she nixed congestion pricing due to elections, fearful that Republican candidates will pick up seats in New York City and State.

Overall, this tax plan goes against the moto under which she put the breaks on congestion pricing—“address the rising cost of living in New York”—by placing a new tax burden on businesses, leading to an even higher cost of living in the most expensive city in the country.

Both the opponents of congestion pricing and those who are for the scheme, are up in arms over Hochuls proposed tax hike.

“Any discussion about increasing the treacherous MTA Payroll Tax on Putnam and Westchester businesses should be dead on arrival,” Assemblyman Matt Slater (R-94) said. “Middle-class families are struggling to put food on their tables…and businesses can barely keep their doors open. Proposing another tax is an insulting joke that will only exacerbate the affordability crisis that Governor Hochul pointed to as her reason for killing congestion pricing.”

State Senator Liz Kruegel (D-28), who called Hochul’s actions “Reckless” and has claimed that Hochul has “single-handedly created a financial and fiduciary crisis for the MTA Board,” said, “The Legislature certainly will not be hurrying to raise taxes on hard-working New York City residents and small businesses.”

The governor’s shock announcement also created turmoil at the MTA’s senior levels.

A state Senate source told The New York Post that the outgoing MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber, along with Hochul’s board appointees, have threatened to resign.

In March, the MTA’s board of directors set the toll rate for congestion pricing at $15. Cars and small commercial vehicles will be paying with E-ZPass and will be charged $15 during the day and $3.75 at night. Drivers will be charged no more than once a day. Larger vehicles will pay more, up to $36 during the day and up to $9 at night. Taxis and black car passengers will pay a $1.25 toll within or through the zone. Uber, Lyft or Revel passengers will pay $2.50. Exemptions can be found here.

Congestion pricing was set to take effect on June 30th and as of now has been postponed indefinitely by the Governor due to elections.

In the past few months, many FrumNews.com readers pointed out in the past that if New York City actually wants its residents to use public transit, all it has to do is enable law and order in the MTA transit system.

As one Williamsburg reader told FrumNews.com, “The far-left progressives in this City are handcuffing the police department by allowing the emotionally disturbed and violent individuals to roam the NYC Subway system en-mass freely. This means that the MTA, Mayor, Governor, State Legislators, Council members and elected officials are not serious. They care more about obsessively taxing everyday New Yorkers because if they would clean up the subway system, charge and hold the criminals responsible, there would be more riders using public transportation on their own.”

“Most New Yorkers don’t want to drive into Manhattan, but the subway is a cesspool of crime; those that can bypass the subway avoid it for this very reason.” He added.