Former governor and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo opposes Gov. Kathy Hochul's controversial $9 congestion charge for entering midtown Manhattan, The Post has learned. .
This is the first time Cuomo has commented on the $9 commuter tax since Hochul announced it after the November election.
“There's no denying that New York is in a dramatically different situation today than it was in 2019, but no study could have predicted that. [the toll’s] The results are based on facts, not politics, and could do more harm than good to New York City's recovery,” Cuomo press secretary Rich Azzopardi told the Post on Sunday about his boss' position on the new commuter tax. He spoke while touching.
Mr. Cuomo is like the father of congestion pricing in the United States. He was primarily responsible for pushing the nation's first congestion pricing plan passed by the New York State Legislature in 2019 to fund mass transit and reduce traffic in Manhattan's central business district. .
But he has since backtracked on this tactic, writing in a Post op-ed column in March that “New Yorkers know now is not the time for congestion pricing,” and that the post-pandemic economy is unstable. He cited recovery and subway crime. .
He feels the same way now, even though the toll has been lowered by Hochul from $15 to $9 before it takes effect next Sunday, Jan. 5.
Mr. Cuomo's reversal comes as he is considering a return to politics to run for mayor of New York.
He resigned as governor in August 2021 after being accused of wrongdoing and threatened with impeachment, although he denies wrongdoing.
Azzopardi said Cuomo still believes congestion pricing is “ultimately the right policy,” which is why he fought for approval. But “the question is whether now is the right time to do it,” the official said.
“Congestion pricing is predicated on a safe and reliable subway system, and combined with the post-COVID-19 instability in New York City, the public currently has a clear distrust of the subway system. The Governor called for data-driven pricing to inform the timing of such major policy changes and to ensure that they do not create new obstacles to New York City's recovery. Studies are being conducted on the impact of fees,” Azzopardi said.
There have been 10 murders in the subway this year, the most in 25 years. That figure includes a horrific arson attack last week that killed a man sleeping on a train, allegedly at the hands of a sadistic Guatemalan illegal immigrant.
A representative for Hochul, who served as Cuomo's lieutenant governor, hit back at his predecessor's change in position and accused the governor of “mismanagement.”
“Drivers who are upset about paying a $9 toll when entering Manhattan should remember two things: Why are they paying the toll? “It's Andrew Cuomo's fault, and the reason the rates are 40% lower than originally expected is Kathy Hochul's fault.”
“Governor Hochul took office in 2021, two years after congestion pricing became law, and began working to fix the MTA mess he inherited after a decade of gubernatorial mismanagement,” Small added. .
Toll opponents welcomed Mr. Cuomo's change of heart, but pointed to the former governor as the one who brought the issue to the forefront.
“I’m glad Mr. Cuomo recognized what a bad idea congestion pricing is, but he also passed it into law, just like bail reform and shelter policies that have made us less safe. “I'll never forget that it was Mr. Cuomo,” the lawmaker said. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn).
“Maybe they should have listened to the Republicans before they defended these deplorable policies,” Malliotakis added, demanding that Hochul ride the subway without state police protection.
Hochul initially proposed a $15 toll to enter Midtown south of 60th Street, but infamously waited until after the election to push through with a $9 commuter tax.
The Metropolitan Transportation Bureau also has the authority to increase fares by 25% on congestion warning days.
But Mr. Hochul, who largely controls the MTA, derailed the traffic surcharge last week following exclusive Post reporting on the exorbitant surcharge.
Malliotakis and other opponents of congestion pricing have appealed to President-elect Donald Trump, who opposes congestion pricing, to abolish the fees, which the Biden administration has approved.
“I think there's a path for President Trump to step in and stop it,” Malliotakis told 77WABC Radio's “Cats Roundtable” on Sunday. “[We] As in New Jersey, the case is still in court.
“We remain hopeful that we can stop this congestion toll cash grab that costs commuters thousands of dollars.”
A recent poll from Siena College found that a majority of New Yorkers (51%) oppose imposing congestion fees on Manhattan commuters. Only 29% of those surveyed said they supported a congestion charge, with the remaining 20% either unsure or in the middle.
The toll is supported by transportation advocacy groups, environmental groups, regional planning associations, and the New York City Partnership, a top business advocacy group.
