Gov. Andrew Cuomo pressed for approval of his congestion pricing plan at a speech before the Association for Better New York on Thursday at the New York Hilton Midtown.
NEW YORK CITY—Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a speech before the Association for a Better New York on Thursday made the case for congestion pricing in the city, which he says will raise $15-billion in needed funding for the MTA's next capital plan.
In an appearance at the New York Hilton Midtown, the governor said that a congestion pricing plan is necessary in order to prevent a nearly 30% MTA fare hike, as well as the further deterioration of the transit system in coming years. Gov. Cuomo also highlighted a host of other transit and MTA construction-oriented reform initiatives that are part of his 2020 Executive Budget proposal.
“The MTA has been plagued by organizational dysfunction and disinvestment for decades, and we need better management and more money to turn it around,” Gov. Cuomo said. “Congestion pricing is the only logical and realistic option to fund the MTA's capital needs and one person must have the authority to make decisions, hire and fire, and reorganize.”
He added, “Let the legislature cast their vote on the real choice—congestion pricing or 30% fare and toll increases. It's A or B because there is no C. If the public understands the critical choice their elected officials are making, congestion pricing will prevail.”
Calling congestion pricing the only logical and realistic option to fund the MTA's capital plan without large fare increases, the governor said his congestion pricing plan would charge a toll for those entering the Manhattan Central Business District below 60th Street. The governor's Fix NYC Panel offered a number of variable rates that would incentivize drivers towards non-congestion hours by reducing tolls at certain times that would be implemented with electronic tolling. The governor stressed that the congesting pricing funds would be put in a lockbox for MTA capital projects.
The governor also said that congestion pricing tolls would not have a dramatic impact on commuters from the outer boroughs and outlying suburbs to Manhattan. He cited US Census data (2012-2016) that only a fraction of New Yorkers commute by car into the Central Business District, and 25% of commuters who would pay a congestion pricing fee are from out of state. The percentage of Brooklyn residents who commute by car into Manhattan totals 1.3%; Queens, 2.2%, the Bronx, 1.9%, Staten Island, 2.3%, Westchester (2.2%), Nassau, 1.8% and Suffolk (0.8%).
Other construction/MTA initiatives proposed by the governor included allowing Design-Build for MTA projects. Gov. Cuomo passed New York's first Design-Build Law in 2011. The state now uses design-build for all major projects, including for the new Tappan Zee Bridge (Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge). Design-Build would expedite MTA construction projects that the governor said rarely come in on time.
He also called for the halt of the “fare evasion explosion on the New York City subway system. In recent years, the number of toll evaders has doubled, costing the MTA a total of $215 million per year, an increase of $110 million in 2015.
The governor is also looking to reduce waste, including salary at the various MTA divisions, audit the MTA capital plan that has been estimated at anywhere from $40 billion to $80 billion and reorganize the MTA Board and the unilateral veto powers that the governor, Senate and Assembly Speaker and in a limited way the New York City Mayor currently enjoy. The governor said that one individual could perhaps retain the sole veto power and help lead critical reforms at the MTA. Gov. Cuomo has stated in the past he would be willing to be take on that responsibility.
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
