Congestion pricing now

Transit Authority boss Andy Byford’s aggressive plan to modernize the subways is going to be expensive — $37 billion over 10 years, even though the MTA hasn’t yet stuck on the price tag. But it’s a cost we have to pay to modernize signals, stations and railcars.

The best and smartest way to find the big money, bar none, is from congestion pricing: charging vehicles the equivalent of a bridge or tunnel toll to drive into the busiest parts of Manhattan, south of 60th St. Gov. Cuomo on Thursday bought into both the Byford plan and congestion funding, which is excellent.

Vocal enthusiasm from Cuomo for a fee on cars was missing in March when lawmakers only approved a quarter measure, a surcharge on taxi and app service fares for trips below 96th St. This time, the governor must put his words into action by pressing its enactment on Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan.

It’s also excellent that Cuomo’s Democratic primary challenger, Cynthia Nixon, backed the transit blueprint and the congestion charge. Nixon was absent when Albany was weighing transit financing options, even though her political allies in the Working Families Party have long supported having motorists chip in to underwrite the trains and buses. Still, her support is welcome.

Now, Mayor de Blasio needs to join the rivals with a full-throated endorsement of both the subway plan and congestion pricing.

The city owns the subway, including the ancient signals. And de Blasio must drop the claptrap about congestion pricing being regressive. It is as little-guy-friendly as policy ideas come. Most New Yorkers don’t have cars. Those who do are better off financially than the majority who rely on transit. And of the driving minority, most are not commuting into Midtown and downtown during rush hour.

So the congestion fee, which could raise $1 billion yearly — enough to finance the Byford rebuild — is the progressive way. Congestion pricing also curbs choking traffic.

The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t poll as well as a millionaires’ tax, pushed by Nixon and de Blasio. Taxing rich folks more is progressive, but it doesn’t help traffic, and it would amount to double taxation of the wealthy because Congress has capped state tax deductions.

That could force the small flock of golden geese on which the city and state rely to fly south or west. Go with congestion pricing.