My congestion pricing conversion
It shouldn’t be this hard to get around the greatest city in the world. But it is. And it’s getting harder by the day. The subways New Yorkers depend upon are grinding to a halt. And we are running out of time to turn the tide.
That’s why, Tuesday, I threw my support behind congestion pricing to fix our subways.
I didn’t make the decision lightly. And I want to explain how I got here — not just to the longtime supporters of congestion pricing, but to the many New Yorkers who, like me, have looked on the policy with skepticism.
The proposal I announced with Gov. Cuomo represents a framework to turn around our unreliable subways. It includes auditing and reforming the MTA, controlling future fare hikes and a congestion pricing zone that would charge drivers entering Manhattan south of 61st St.
And the revenue from that plan would be lock-boxed for the most pressing public transit needs of New Yorkers: fixing broken signals, repairing miles of track, buying new subway cars and buses, making subway stations accessible to people with disabilities and adding more transit options to underserved parts of the outer boroughs. So why this plan? And why now? First, our transit crisis has deepened with every passing year. The subways just had their third straight year of falling ridership — the kind of drops we haven’t seen since the 1970s (our bus system is faring even worse). Riders are voting with their feet because of delays, signal problems and breakdowns.
We used to joke that the N and R trains stood for “never” and “rarely.” These days, there’s hardly a subway line that isn’t wracked by chronic delays. The city can barely get through a single rush hour without a major incident that ripples through the system, stalling thousands of riders. The system itself is deteriorating — and will keep deteriorating — without a massive turnaround.
We cannot confront this crisis without billions of dollars in new sustainable funding for our transit. I’ve made no secret that I think a tax on the highest-income New Yorkers — a millionaire’s tax — is the best approach. But despite its popularity, we don’t have a path to pass a millionaire’s tax in Albany this session.
More importantly, it’s now clear we can’t raise anywhere near the billions needed to fix the subways without congestion pricing. We’ll need other sources of revenue — our proposal calls for a portion of tax proceeds from marijuana and a new internet sales tax on certain goods, too — but congestion pricing is the only way to make up most of the necessary funding.
Congestion pricing plans have evolved and gotten better. The proposal we announced this week addresses concerns I’ve raised related to a lockbox for transit funding, fairness to the outer boroughs and accommodating people with disabilities and chronic medical conditions that require care at Manhattan hospitals. It would toll the streets, not the bridges, so people from Brooklyn and Queens wouldn’t be charged just for crossing a bridge or driving on the FDR.
Lastly — and most compellingly — the clock is ticking.
There are five weeks left to pass a state budget that includes congestion pricing and MTA reform. And this proposal, with congestion pricing and other measures, has the best chance of immediate success.
The framework the governor and I have laid out is a starting point. We’re ready to work with the state Senate and Assembly to get to a fair and effective plan. I know they understand riders’ frustrations and are focused on finding real solutions that work for the people they represent.
The time to act is now. If we don’t resolve this crisis by April 1, it could be years before we are ever in a position to do it again.
Why I’m onboard a plan to combat traffic and raise money for subways