By Michael V. Cusenza
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park) on Monday at a Metropolitan Transportation Authority public hearing ripped the agency’s congestion pricing plan.
The Central Business District Tolling Program—commonly referred to as congestion pricing—was mandated by the State in April 2019 and modeled on urban congestion pricing programs around the world to reduce traffic congestion and raise needed revenue to improve public transportation. The program will charge vehicles a toll for traveling in Manhattan south of and inclusive of 60th Street, excluding through-traffic on the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, West Side Highway, Battery Park Underpass, and roadway portions of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connecting to West Street.
“Since day one of my time in office, I have been vehemently against the implementation of a congestion pricing toll in Manhattan,” Ariola said.
“Many of my colleagues are celebrating congestion pricing, saying it is a solution to traffic overcrowding. I believe that the fallout that will result from this toll, however, will be far more severe than backed-up traffic. This is something that places an undue burden on residents of the outer boroughs, and forces them to pay an additional tax for their choice to travel to Manhattan. In a city where subway crime is constantly in the headlines, and many New Yorkers – especially women and the elderly –feel unsafe on public transportation, the car is really the only viable mode of access to get to stores, restaurants, medical appointments, and entertainment venues on Manhattan Island.
“On top of this, many areas of the outer boroughs – and especially here in Queens – are considered to be transportation deserts. Residents often need to take several busses and trains to get where they need to go if they relied solely on public transportation. It can take residents in some parts of my district nearly two hours to get from their homes to Washington Square Park, for example, while the same drive can take a mere 45 minutes in their car.
“All of this will also have direct effects on the businesses that currently exist within the congestion pricing zone. As residents opt for other choices outside of Manhattan, local merchants will struggle to deal with the loss of revenue. Additionally, people seeking to avoid paying the tolls within the congestion zone will inevitably opt to park their vehicles on the blocks adjacent to the zone’s borders. This will, without a doubt, lead to increased overcrowding and new struggles for space in areas that already have problems with adequate parking.
“Congestion pricing will be a disaster for everyone in this city, and the problems it seeks to rectify pale in comparison to the problems it will cause. This is why I believe that we need to abandon this endeavor, and go back to the drawing board to find solutions that can truly work for all New Yorkers,” the councilwoman concluded.
Monday’s hearing was the final of four organized by the authority. According to the MTA, a total of 399 speakers across the four days addressed MTA leaders and board members about congestion pricing.
