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Outgoing NYC Transit chief warns congestion pricing pause could lead to subway failures
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Jun 16, 2024
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Jun 16, 2024
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The outgoing head of New York City’s subways and buses said the MTA will “ruthlessly prioritize” its plan to keep service from falling apart after Gov. Kathy Hochul paused congestion pricing, which was slated to finance $15 billion in mass transit upgrades.
In an interview with Gothamist on Saturday, less than 24 hours after leaving his job as president of NYC Transit, Richard Davey said the governor’s order means the MTA won’t be able to pay for projects that were designed to keep the subways from falling into disrepair like they did in seven years ago.
“This is not going to happen overnight,” he said. “But you just don't want to return to the summer of hell [of 2017]… I don't want to come across as some unreasonable fearmonger. But over time, if it's not addressed, then you're just going to expect to see a slowing of the reliability.”
Davey noted the MTA has $28 billion of projects remaining in its current capital plan, but only about $13 billion left to spend. He said agency Chair Janno Lieber is now forced to decide which work gets funding, and which gets put back on the shelf.
Davey said he worried that Lieber may be forced to delay the Second Avenue subway extension into East Harlem, which received a $3.4 billion federal grant last year that can only be disbursed if the MTA puts up another $4.3 billion of its own money for the project.
“We got to ruthlessly prioritize, and that's what the team was starting to do when I left,” he said. “That means people are going to be disappointed.”
The MTA plans to announce which projects will be cut from its construction plan at a board meeting on June 26.
Davey is leaving his job in New York to become CEO of the Massachusetts Port Authority. He was the fourth person in just over four years to be NYC Transit President.
He said Hochul’s decision to pause congestion pricing had nothing to do with his resignation — but described his view from a front-row seat at the MTA the week she said she would indefinitely delay the plan to toll drivers in Manhattan south of 60th Street.
“Shock. I mean, total shock,” Davey said when asked about the mood among MTA officials when the news broke. “It's a total shock to everybody at the MTA. And as you're seeing, I think it's a total shock to other elected officials, obviously advocates, supporters.”
He said there was a collective sadness at MTA headquarters after Hochul paused the plan, especially for Lieber, who had worked to implement congestion pricing for more than five years.
“He poured so much of his personal, professional heart and soul into congestion pricing,” Davey said. “Everyone was disappointed on his behalf, and disappointed for the MTA.”
Davey said he remains a supporter of congestion pricing — but noted New York might not be the first city in the country to implement the program.
He said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants to launch tolls in the busiest part of her city, and said that would follow a historical pattern. While the country’s first subway was designed in New York City, Davey said Boston was actually the first to build a system back in 1897.
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new york city
Politics
transportation
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
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