NYC’s subway, bus and commuter train riders reacted with mixed emotions and opinions on Wednesday to the federal government’s sudden halt on congestion pricing.
After a short, six-week run, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) under President Donald Trump’s leadership called kaput on congestion pricing—the MTA’s controversial toll program that was going to help pay for critical infrastructure projects for the city’s aging transit system.
With the program in effect, some NYC subway riders have said they looked forward to more accessibility, updated rail cars and better signaling, all of which might now have an unknown future.
James Miller, a subway rider from Queens, was shocked at Wednesday’s news and first found out about it from amNewYork Metro. He said he has “no idea” what lies ahead for some of the agency’s infrastructure projects.
“It seemed to be working well and this ending just seems so abrupt,” he said. “I’m curious how the MTA will now raise funds.”
Mark Hannigan, a real estate agent, gets to his appointments throughout NYC and Long Island using his car and public transportation, including subways and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). He is celebrating the news.
“I’m very happy Donald Trump reversed it,” he said. “It is just a money grab, just another tax.”
Congestion pricing ‘cleared gridlock’
But Betsy Plum, executive director of the Riders Alliance, feels otherwise. She called out Republican efforts to derail congestion pricing, which she described as a policy designed to “clear gridlocked streets” and speed up buses. She also applauded Gov. Kathy Hochul’s work to help keep it on track.
“Governor Hochul has proven that investing in public transit is investing in the future of New York,” Plum said. “We’re calling on her to keep fighting for riders because when transit wins, New York wins.”
On the subject of buses, Filippa Grisafi, who advocates for better express bus service on Staten Island, said the shutdown is an opportunity to audit the MTA. She said Staten Island express bus service continues to suffer whether congestion pricing is in effect or not.
“Faster commute times mean nothing when buses still aren’t showing up and commuters are left in freezing temperatures,” she said. “We just want our service restored. We just want the public transportation we need, we deserve, and we are scheduled to have.”
Hugo Wood, co-founder of Botanical Brothers flower shop in Midtown, said it is “likely a good thing” that congestion pricing is ending. He explained that he runs a small family-owned business in the Flower District and had been covering his delivery drivers’ congestion fees so that they would not get impacted by the bottom line.
“We also wanted to ensure that we weren’t passing along the congestion fee to our customers who we bring flowers to each week,” Wood said.
But, he did notice the program helped alleviate traffic.
In the meantime, MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber already filed papers in federal court on Wednesday aiming to keep the program active, calling the federal halt a “baseless effort to snatch benefits” such as reduced traffic, faster travel times and increased speeds for buses and emergency vehicles away from New Yorkers.
At an afternoon press conference at Grand Central Station Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lieber and state officials said congestion pricing would remain active until a court orders them otherwise.
Read More: https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/
