Rockland County Elected Officials Respond to Hochul's Hold on Congestion Pricing

by M.C. Millman

Rockland County electeds were quick to respond to Governor Hochul's delaying the start of congestion pricing in New York. Originally scheduled to take effect on June 30, congestion pricing has been postponed to an unknown date, as reported yesterday by Rockland Daily here. 

Rockland County Legislators were among the many who urged Governor Kathy Hochul to not only pause, but outright kill the congestion pricing plan that would charge commuters $15 per day to travel below 60th Street in Manhattan.

"Congestion pricing adds up to yet another tax on Rockland commuters and is too burdensome on hardworking families,"  Rockland County Legislators Paul Cleary, Beth J. Davidson, Thomas F. Diviny, Toney L. Earl,  Joel Friedman, Lon M. Hofstein, Jay Hood Jr., Douglas J. Jobson,  Will J. Kennelly, Jesse M. Malowitz, Aney Paul, Raymond W. Sheridan, Philip Soskin, Dana G. Stilley, Aron B. Wieder, Alden H. Wolfe and Itamar J. Yeger said in a joint statement issued yesterday. "Rockland businesses – which includes not-for-profits, as well as a for-profit businesses – already pay the MTA payroll tax. Rockland experiences a $40 million annual value gap between how much is paid into the MTA via taxes and other revenue versus the services provided...

"By suspending this policy, commuters can get to work without the burden of the added toll. Going forward, the transit options of all commuters need to be considered, not just the taxes they can be charged without any significant service options in return."

"Almost five months to the day before Election Day, Governor Kathy Hochul  has suddenly realized how bad congestion pricing is polling in the suburbs and in New York City," Congressman Mike Lawler stated on X. "As I have said from the start — congestion pricing needs to be ended, not simply delayed."

“The State of New York allowing the Congestion Pricing tax to go into effect is an insult to families who have been struggling with record-breaking inflation, high gas prices, and outrageous interest rates for close to two years," Rockland County Executive Ed Day said in his statement. "The City of New York is already unaffordable and to make it even more so now is utterly ridiculous. There’s no way congestion is worse now than before the pandemic; since then population in New York City is down 6%, only 60% of the workforce is working 5 days a week (many are hybrid or fully remote), and Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s own analysis found most of the vehicles in the Central Business District are for-hire vehicles. Rockland’s approximately 4,000 residents who drive into the CBD – many of whom are first responders – are forced to do so because there is no one-seat-ride, despite our more than $40 million annual value gap between what we pay and what we receive from the MTA. That is not their fault; it is the MTA’s. Don’t punish residents for the MTA’s inability to manage its budget. It is for all those reasons we have fought this ridiculous tax from day one and applaud fellow lawmakers, including those in New Jersey, Long Island, and Staten Island, who are in that fight as well. Governor Kathy Hochul should not just pause this plan but eliminate it entirely. If not, we will continue our legal fight, alongside my colleagues in government, on behalf of families we serve who do not deserve another unnecessary tax.”

Senator Bill Weber shared, "I was proud to be a vocal opponent of congestion pricing and cosponsor the Senate legislation to stop it and audit the failed MTA. Today's decision by the governor to indefinitely delay congestion pricing is a victory, even though she did it for the wrong reasons. Instead of making a political decision to protect vulnerable incumbents from this deeply unpopular policy, she should have canceled it because it was a horrible idea pitched as a way to protect our environment and reduce congestion while all it really would be is just another bailout for the MTA. We have come to expect dishonesty in proposing and canceling policy here in this state. Despite today's victory, New Yorkers deserve better.”

"This is a huge win for all of us who have fought to stop New York City politicians from further hurting the suburbs by imposing this ridiculous tax," Supervisor George Hoehmann states. "We already have a significant value gap in what we pay the MTA and what we receive in services. Thank you to the Governor who stepped in to stop this plan."