NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday urged New York State officials and the MTA to quickly implement congestion pricing in Manhattan to help raise money to repair the aging subway system.
At a press conference, the mayor stressed that the subway system is crucial for so many sectors of New York City’s economy.
He added that if congestion pricing is not implemented soon, the subways will start to deteriorate and in turn, “the entire metropolitan area economy starts to corrode.”
De Blasio wants to have the controversial tolling system installed in Manhattan by 2022.
Congestion pricing would automatically charge vehicles an undecided amount of money to drive into high traffic areas in Manhattan.
The Trump administration had previously stalled the project, pushing back its planned January 2021 start date.
The goal of congestion pricing, which was approved by lawmakers in Albany in 2019, is to raise $15 billion to help fund the MTA's five-year, $51.5 billion capital plan, while also helping to unclog streets.
Mayor de Blasio is a strong supporter of the plan and says the money is needed sooner rather than later – especially after heavy rainfall last week brought extreme flooding to multiple subway stations.
“When you looked at that horrible flooding, that was a symptom of something that has gone unaddressed for decades. I'm calling upon the state and MTA to own the problem, take the steps needed to get this revenue, help us fix this problem,” de Blasio said. “I think when the city speaks up and says, ‘We've got to do something for millions of people who've got to use the subway every day,’ I think that does have a big impact.”
De Blasio also criticized the MTA for not moving quicker, while at the same time, struggling to pay to keep the system running.
“The MTA, on the one hand they cry poverty, and then on the other hand they say, ‘Oh, we can't move.’ It doesn't make any sense,” de Blasio said. “They aren't putting enough troops together for the straphangers – that's a known fact. They're saying that they're struggling to hire people, well figure it out.”
The mayor on Thursday also recommended that the city’s finance commissioner, Sherif Soliman, be added to the Traffic Mobility Review Board, which was created to oversee congestion pricing.
The board has still not met, and the mayor says it’s time they should.
Ken Lovett, senior advisor to the MTA Chairman and CEO, responded to the mayor’s push in a statement, saying the agency is currently working with the Biden administration to conduct an environmental assessment.
“We’re working hard to implement [congestion pricing] as soon as possible. But it’s important to remember the project was delayed 20 months by the previous federal administration,” Lovett said. “The Biden administration on March 30 directed us to conduct an Environmental Assessment process with robust public outreach. Since then, we have been in deep, detailed and productive discussions with the Federal Highway Administration over exactly what that entails. We will move forward on a timeline that meets all requirements set out for us.”