Former governor. Andrew Cuomo, who pushed the state’s controversial congestion pricing law through the legislature in 2019, is now urging officials to curb the program.
Cuomo recently said that the plan, which calls for a $15 toll to enter Midtown Manhattan’s business district, simply gives people one more reason to stay away from a post-pandemic Big Apple, which is still grappling with too much crime and immigrant and homeless crisis. .
“There has been a change of circumstances,” Cuomo said, referring to when he pushed the legislation and the post-COVID world of New York City.
“Now there is option C: stay home,” he said last week on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”
“’The cost has become too high. It is another impediment. I don’t want to pay a higher toll to drive to New York City, which has a high crime and homeless rate. I’ll stay home,’” he said, speaking of the drivers.
“That didn’t exist six years ago,” Cuomo said of the resistance, fueled at least in part by remote work. “No one has to stay home. “There were no Zoom meetings.”
Cuomo said a new study must be conducted before implementing the plan to determine whether the $15 toll will deter people from visiting the city.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on state officials to postpone implementation of the congestion pricing plan due to a “change in circumstances.” Gregorio P. Mango
“I would like to see an analysis that shows the current reality,” he said. “If they raise tolls, would it cause more people to stay home, which would actually raise less money?”
His new stance is a far cry from his fervent defense of congestion pricing in 2019, when he pushed the legislation despite stiff opposition from some lawmakers. The planned $15 toll to enter Midtown would not have happened without his prior support.
“Congestion pricing is the only logical and realistic option to finance the [Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s] capital needs,” Cuomo said at the time.
He claimed that most motorists would not be affected because only “very rich people” can afford to drive to Manhattan.
Cuomo previously pushed for a congestion pricing plan when he was in office in 2019. Matthew McDermott
“Residents on the outskirts of the boroughs don’t drive their cars into Manhattan. “That’s not how they get in,” Cuomo said then. “I’m a Queens guy. Only the very rich can drive to Manhattan. You have to pay the toll. You have to pay for parking. . . . “This is probably closer to $100 a day.”
He added that “it’s a luxury” to drive to Midtown.
Cuomo’s about-face angered some transit advocates. The toll was designed to help pay for improvements to New York City’s aging subway system, as well as reduce driving time, among other things.
“The former governor could have been remembered for putting us on the path to fixing the subway. Now that he is out of power, this Grinch doesn’t want anyone to have a modern, reliable and accessible public transportation network,” said Daniel Pearstein of Riders Alliance. “No wonder commuters spent years stuck on delayed trains, popularizing the famous #CuomosMTA hashtag.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, Cuomo’s successor and lieutenant governor, strongly supports congestion tolling that the MTA she controls will implement starting next spring.
Hochul left it to the MTA to respond to The Post about Cuomo’s comments. The transit agency on Sunday criticized Cuomo for changing his mind.
“Congestion pricing has worked in Singapore, Stockholm and London, where more people are visiting the central business district since it began,” MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said in an emailed statement. “What would really hurt New York’s continued recovery is depriving the subway of a desperately needed source of funding after decades of underinvestment.
“Congestion pricing means faster emergency response times, cleaner air and better service for most New Yorkers, so it’s disappointing that the former Governor would change his support for that,” the representative said.
Governor Hochul supports congestion pricing for Manhattan. REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario
Cuomo resigned as governor under threat of impeachment after a slew of women accused him of harassment or sexual misconduct, claims he has denied.
Since then, he has tried to regain relevance and even pave the way for a political comeback at some point.
Under the congestion pricing plan, passenger car drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during the day would be charged $15 and $3.75 during off-peak hours.
The rate for small trucks would be $24, while large trucks would be charged $36 during the day. At night, those tolls would be reduced to $6 and $9, respectively, to take out traffic-clogging deliveries outside of travel hours.
Cuomo said a new study should be conducted on congestion pricing that takes into account “current realities.” Brigitte Stelzer
Some New Jersey Democrats, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have strongly opposed the implementation of congestion pricing. Some suburban and upstate New York Democrats also speak out against the death toll.
New York Republicans have said they intend to use the issue against their Democratic opponents in the 2024 elections.
The tolling program is backed by environmental and public transportation advocates and some business groups, including the Real Estate Board of New York.
But advocates for the Broadway Theater District fear that congestion tolling will discourage regional tourists from coming to see a show.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn