Choking on congest fee, but loving millionaire tax

NEW YORK CITY voters oppose charging a congestion fee to drive into parts of Manhattan by a 52% to 42% margin, according to a new poll released Thursday.

The Quinnipiac University poll found that while a narrow majority oppose the congestion pricing plan to raise money for the crumbling mass transit system, city voters overwhelmingly back a plan to tax the rich for the cash.

That millionaires’ tax plan, pushed by Mayor de Blasio, has the support of 75% of voters, compared with 21% who are against it.

Albany pols are considering a proposal to charge drivers $11.52 to enter the most congested areas of Manhattan, in order to reduce traffic and raise money to fix the subway, but its prospects appear to have faded as budget negotiations near an end. De Blasio’s millionaires’ tax plan has not gotten much traction in the state capital.

According to the poll, Manhattan voters support congestion pricing by a 50% to 44% margin. But voters in all of the other boroughs oppose it.

Given a choice between a millionaire’s tax or congestion pricing to pay for a subway fix, 66% pick the tax while 21% choose the fee on drivers.

“When voters have a choice between congestion pricing, which anyone who drives or takes a taxi or Uber would pay, and a millionaire’s tax, which only millionaires would pay, are you surprised at the results?” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

While New Yorkers are split on the solution, they can agree on the problem — 70% say subway service in the city is “not so good” or “poor.”