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Debate over NYC congestion pricing exemptions won't die
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Feb 7, 2025
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By
Stephen Nessen
Published Feb 7, 2025
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This column originally appeared in On The Way, a weekly newsletter covering everything you need to know about NYC-area transportation.
Sign up to get the full version, which includes answers to reader questions, trivia, service changes and more, in your inbox every Thursday.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wants to see tweaks to the MTA's congestion pricing program, but her call for reforms further frays Gov. Kathy Hochul’s defense of the tolls amid intense opposition from Republicans.
This week on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” Gillibrand revisited well-worn criticisms of the program to toll drivers a base fare of $9 to travel south of 60th Street in Manhattan, saying the charges have harmed working people since they went into effect last month. She suggested adding new exemptions for firefighters, nurses, first responders, some public servants, and Staten Island residents.
“ I'm going to make sure that the communities that are being burdened, like deliveries for restaurants, truck drivers, for different groups of people that are bearing this burden that should not be the target of the burden,” she told Lehrer. “ I just think we have to be very thoughtful in how we approach this issue.”
MTA officials have for years warned such exemptions to the tolls would force them to raise the price for everyone else, and would kill many of the traffic reduction benefits that New Yorkers have seen since they launched. Gillibrand’s criticisms also mimic those offered by Hochul last year when she temporarily paused the launch of the tolls at a $15 base price, some five months before she reactivated them at $9 after the November election.
MTA data shows improved traffic speeds across the city, including a 48% increase in travel speeds through the Holland Tunnel.
Surveys show the politics of congestion pricing are just starting to shift, as has been the case in other cities around the globe.
A poll published by the group Morning Consult this week found 59% of people believe President Donald Trump should “allow congestion pricing in New York City to continue” instead of following through with his promises to kill the program. The poll shows 51% of respondents who drive into the congestion zone at least a few times per month support the tolls.
Adrien Lesser, a spokesperson for Gillibrand, said the senator nonetheless supports congestion pricing, making her comments even more confusing.
“Sen. Gillibrand believes that President Trump should respect the laws of New York state, and she opposes any effort from President Trump to kill the program,” Lesser said in a statement.
Still, the senator’s comments highlighted the challenge Democrats face when defending the new tolls after losing an election where cost of living concerns were top of mind.
“It is a real pickle,” Nicole Gelinas with the Manhattan Institute told Gothamist. “Who is a credible actor to defend congestion pricing, as Trump goes after everything and anything that's not nailed down?”
Gillibrand isn’t alone among New York lawmakers. A bipartisan group of state legislators has proposed a raft of 17 bills that also seek to carve out exemptions to the plan.
Rachael Fauss with the good government group Reinvent Albany is worried officials would use those proposals as bargaining chips as MTA officials call for additional taxes to fund the agency’s proposed construction plan through the state budget.
“ The MTA and the state Legislature really should be spending their time working on funding for the next capital plan, not eroding the sources of revenue we have for the current capital plan,” she said. “Albany should not be trying to reward the special interest lobbying for these bills.”
Have a question about subway cars (or literally anything else NYC-transit related)? Use this form to submit yours and we may answer it in a future newsletter!
But note that Curious Commuter questions are exclusive for On The Way newsletter subscribers. Sign up for free here.
Question from Rebekah from Queens
What is going on with this wild wrapping of parts of the J/M/Z? It’s a huge job and frankly a little creepy to drive under. How long is the work going to take?
Answer
Rebekah’s talking about the hazmat-style white cover around much of the elevated tracks in Brooklyn and Queens, which is part of the MTA’s painting of the structure that runs through Brooklyn. The new look involves a sand-blasting technique to clean the steel before applying a special paint formula. The covers on the structures, which they call "shielding platforms," act as the work surface and as a safety barrier for people underneath. Transit officials say this method is more cost-effective and allows the paint to last far longer — about 30 years instead of the decade or less that the agency’s conventional painting method would yield. The work is expected to last on the J line until the spring of 2026 and until the summer of 2026 on the M line.
The latest NYC area transit headlines
Listen here:
- MTA Chair Janno Lieber was in Albany Thursday asking state lawmakers for additional revenue to fund his agency’s five-year, $65 billion plan to rescue New York City's mass transit system from the brink of collapse. Read more.
- City Councilmember Erik Bottcher is pitching a plan to use AI to identify drivers who repeatedly violate the city’s noise rules. Read more.
- The NYPD said it’s looking for three people who robbed Lyft, Uber and Revel drivers of their phones, cash and other valuables in more than 20 incidents dating back to November. Read more.
- Police on Monday arrested two teen boys for allegedly breaking into an unoccupied R train in Queens last week and driving it down the tracks. Read more.
- An advocacy group for taxi drivers is urging the city to give cabbies special parking placards that would allow them to park in otherwise ticketable locations for 10 minutes so they can stop and use the bathroom. Read more.
- New Yorkers with disabilities who rely on the MTA’s Access-A-Ride service are complaining that it’s now largely run by third-party companies whose drivers aren’t properly trained to assist them. Read more.
Tagged
new york city
manhattan
Politics
transportation
On The Way
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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