FOLLOWING MTA BOARD VOTE TO ADVANCE CONGESTION PRICING, CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN SLAMS 'UNFAIR, UNINFORMED, AND UNACCEPTABLE' CONGESTION PRICING PLAN, PROMISES TO KEEP UP THE FIGHT
Following MTA Board Vote to Advance Congestion Pricing, Congressman Pat Ryan Slams ‘Unfair, Uninformed, and Unacceptable’ Congestion Pricing Plan, Promises to Keep Up the Fight
Metropolitan Transportation Authority plan would charge Hudson Valley families $15 per day to commute to Manhattan Central Business District, without committing to service improvements in Hudson Valley or carve outs for commuting city employees
KINGSTON, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan slammed the MTA for their unfair, uninformed, and unacceptable congestion pricing plan, which would charge Hudson Valley families $15 per day to commute to Manhattan, without any commitment to service improvements in the Hudson Valley or carve outs for commuting city employees. In February, Ryan hosted local community leaders, members of both the FDNY and NYPD, and representatives of numerous local unions for a public hearing on the plan, where constituents detailed in depth the disproportionate burden Hudson Valley families face from this congestion tax.
“For decades, the MTA has systematically failed the Hudson Valley – there’s not a single MTA station in Ulster, there’s still no one-seat service in Orange, and there’s limited service in Dutchess. Now, without committing to any service additions or providing carve outs for public servants, they’re going to charge working families thousands more per year simply to go to work. It’s everything that’s wrong with New York City’s approach to policy making outside the 5 boroughs,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “The MTA ignored the voices of countless Hudson Valley residents, firefighters, police officers, union members, and teachers alike, public servants who might live in the Hudson Valley, but protect New York City. This ‘plan’ is completely detached from reality, and it cannot stand.”
"I’ve been a law enforcement officer in New York City for 24 years. Sometimes I take the train, but due to the different tours we have to work and the fact that the trains do not run 24/7, I am for the most part forced to drive into the city,” said Luis, a law enforcement officer in New York City and Orange County resident. “That's 24 years of paying for gas, the George Washington Bridge toll and the vehicle wear and tear. I love the city, but not only can I not afford to live in the city, but I cannot even visit the city and enjoy all its amenities. Now on top of that, I'd have to pay the congestion pricing toll. And I’m not alone in this. It's a big concern for me and almost all of my colleagues. We are just trying to do our best to serve the people of the city of New York and provide for our own families.”
“As an Orange County resident, I already shell out for the transit tax to subsidize the MTA, which, as a firefighter who works irregular hours, I can barely use for commuting,” said Jim McCarthy, a firefighter in New York City and Orange County resident. “If I work late battling to keep people safe, I’d be out of luck getting home afterwards with how bad the transit service is. If congestion pricing goes into effect, it would add an additional financial burden without offering an adequate alternative for travel. Middle class working people are not getting an exemption and we don’t earn enough to absorb the additional costs into our family budgets. Even if working people are able to take the limited and restrictive public transportation options currently available, the impact on their commute to work would be devastating – longer hours, less time with their family, less money in their pockets.”
“I often travel to New York City with my church group to help feed and clothe the homeless,” said Wingdale resident Kevin Kitowski. “Now we’ll have to pay $15 per vehicle just to help people in need. That’s money we could be using to help our fellow New Yorkers. That hurts.”
The MTA’s proposed plan would implement a $15 toll on standard automobiles and up to a $36 toll for trucks to enter the Manhattan Central Business District. The Central Business District is defined as Manhattan below 60th Street. The new congestion pricing fees would be in addition to current fees for entry to the city via the Lincoln and Holland tunnel from New Jersey, and the Queens-Midtown and High L. Carey tunnels from Queens and Brooklyn. Additionally, Orange and Dutchess County residents already pay an MTA tax, on top of county and state taxes.
The MTA has not made available discounts for commuting city employees, such as public safety officers, public transport workers, or farmers delivering agricultural products to the city.
The MTA introduced its congestion pricing plan to reduce traffic congestion in Manhattan and promote alternative transportation methods. However, public transit options from the Hudson Valley to Manhattan are still very limited, and there is no MTA plan to use these additional revenues to bolster Hudson Valley service. The congestion pricing would, as a result, place a disproportionate economic burden on commuters from the Hudson Valley.
Congressman Ryan has spearheaded other efforts to lower the cost of living for Hudson Valley families. He recently introduced his Stopping Pharma’s Ripoffs and Drug Savings For All Act to lower the cost of prescription drugs and recently voted for a bill to expand the Child Tax Credit, which passed out of the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Congressman Ryan has led efforts to hold Central Hudson accountable for its egregious billing practices and has repeatedly demanded it halt its plans for a rate hike until all billing issues are resolved.
Congressman Ryan is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
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