“Talking Transportation”
By Jim Cameron
President
CAMERON COMMUNICATIONS INC
Author: “Off The Record: Confessions of a Media Consultant“
Heading to New York City? Take the train, because driving is going to become even more expensive: the NY plan for “congestion pricing” is back!
As everyone predicted last June when NY Governor Kathy Hochul suspended plans for a $15 toll for driving into midtown Manhattan, she has now reversed her decision. She is now proposing a $9 charge for passenger cars ($2.25 off-peak, and $14.40 for small trucks).
It seems ironic that New York City doesn’t control its own mass transit system, but that responsibility is left to the state. While Governor Hochul claimed just months ago that her decision to suspend the toll was a win for commuters (who drive), now she’s added a new twist.
By lowering the toll to just $9 she now claims she will be saving drivers $1500 a year. That’s an amazing spin, no?
While the MTA is notorious for wasting money on multi-billion projects, there’s no doubt that the funding is badly needed to keep mass transit running. But that agency’s $15 billion plans were dependent on the higher tolls, not the new reduced tolls to go into effect in January 2025.
New York Governor Hochul says this has nothing to do with President-elect Trump’s plan to kill the congestion pricing scheme, but her timing says otherwise. Once initiated, these tolls may be difficult to overturn. Difficult but not impossible.
But these are not the only ways that Connecticut residents help subsidize the city’s mass transit. Most Connecticut residents working in New York City contribute to the Payroll Mobility Tax, which is a significant source of funding for the MTA. In 2020, this tax was expected to generate $1.1 billion annually for the MTA.
This makes perfect sense, as most Connecticut commuters depend on Metro-North and the city’s subways to get to their destinations. And those who chose to drive to Manhattan should clearly pay for privilege.
While New Jersey Governor Murphy is suing the MTA over its toll plan, Governor Lamont has been only mildly supportive of congestion pricing, but adds “it’s a good thing for all if more people took the train.” According to the MTA, 3100 Connecticut drivers travel to the city’s central business district each workday.
Connecticut is dependent on Metro-North for running “our” trains and maintaining the infrastructure: we own the tracks between Greenwich and New Haven but it’s Metro-North that fixes them. If / when we order new railcars (which also run in New York state), Connecticut pays two-thirds of the cost and New York picks up the rest.
Meantime, we are enjoying a flood of federal money for our rails as part of President Biden’s infrastructure law… $291 million to be spent on our tracks and power system, bridge replacements, double-tracking of the Hartford Line and relocating Hartford’s Union Station.
Clearly, the rush is on to get as much money as possible invested in mass transit before the Trump team returns to power. The President-elect seems determined to cut federal spending and prioritize road repairs over transit, pedestrians and cyclists calling the Hochul plan for congestion pricing “a regressive tax”.
Jim Cameron is founder of the Commuter Action Group and advocates for Connecticut rail riders. His weekly column “Talking Transportation” is archived here. You can contact Jim at [email protected].
