Roosvelt Island tram passes congestion pricing camaers.
Picture by Dean Moses
Elected officers reacted Sunday to experiences that President Donald Trump was contemplating federal intervention to cease congestion pricing solely a month after it started.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Queens state Sen. John Liu, whereas attending a Feb. 2 press convention on battling Trump’s makes an attempt to freeze federal funding, mentioned ending congestion pricing now would have a devastating influence on town in addition to the MTA.
Congestion pricing started on Jan. 5 and the tolls charged to drivers coming into Manhattan south of sixtieth Avenue are anticipated to reap as much as a billion {dollars} in annual income for the MTA to make use of in bettering the general public transit system. This funding is important, Liu mentioned, to completely funding the MTA’s five-year capital plan anticipated to price $65 billion, however for which solely $32 billion has been presently funded.
“This is not for fancy stuff,” Liu mentioned. “This is basic transit maintenance.”
“This is not for fancy stuff,” Liu mentioned. “This is basic transit maintenance.” Picture by Dean Moses
Liu mentioned Sunday that he expects Trump to try to cease congestion pricing — and if the president does, it might jeopardize the long-term well being of town’s transit system.
“IWhat that does is eliminate a billion dollars of annual revenue, which equates to $15 billion of the capital program, and so it’s not only potentially removing the $14 billion that the MTA is already expecting but removing another $15 billion that’s already baked into the current plan. So, this is really devastating,” Liu mentioned.
Liu mentioned the cash was anticipated to pay for brand spanking new subway vehicles, new buses, station upkeep, together with making them handicap-accessible and, implanting security upgrades and putting in new practice alerts.
“We’re still relying on copper wires,” he famous.
Gillibrand identified that the subway tunnels additionally require resiliency funding following superstorm Sandy in 2012 that left them flooded and inoperable, leaving hundreds stranded.
“We desperately need these upgrades. And how many people rely on mass transit every day? Millions, millions, and if our transit goes down, millions can’t get to work,” Gillibrand mentioned.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks throughout a Home Republican members convention assembly in Trump Nationwide Doral resort, in Miami, Florida, U.S. January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Regardless of the cash being garnered for repairs and the influence the tolling has had on liberating up roadways, most drivers New York News Metro has spoken with because it was carried out final month say they need it by no means had the inexperienced gentle to start with.
“It really pisses me off,” John Saffir mentioned, who stopped on the Higher East Facet to share his grievances with New York News Metro. “It’s a scam. I’m not against it for passenger vehicles during rush hour, you know, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or something like that. But this is such bullshi*t.”
