MTA Administrator Jano Lieber said on Friday that whether he likes it or not, congestion pricing will be in place as about 100 New York City firefighters and scores of other opponents showed up at a hearing in Manhattan to protest. said that it was
The hearing was the second in two days for the transit agency to seek public input on Midtown’s controversial new $15 toll proposal, but Lieber spoke during a break. He told reporters that any attempt to stop the plan at this time is DOA.
“This is often phrased like, I went out drinking and came up with this idea to fund the MTA,” said the agency’s chairman and CEO, who works with Manhattan’s 60 He was dissatisfied with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s highly controversial plan for drivers traveling south of Block Avenue.
“It’s time for members of the media to be clear on this. This is state law and we’re just trying to enforce it in an effective way,” he said. .
“This is not a question of whether we have congestion pricing; [whether] The proposed fee structure makes sense and it is up to you to adjust it to what extent. ”
Lieber noted that the plan’s supporters are also participating in public comment sessions, and said the discussions will help fine-tune the details of the plan.
But the fact that congestion pricing was being done no matter what was news to some members on both sides of the issue.
“We need to find out what’s going on here. I didn’t know there was an agreement,” said a taxi driver who attended the hearing and gave only his first name, Carlos.
“I came here because I don’t want this at all… simply because it’s wrong and it’s inconvenient for the working class,” he said.
Leslie Stevens, who attended the hearing advocating for congestion pricing for the nonprofit organization 350 NYC, said:
“Most of us don’t know that,” she said.
Roselyn Gomez, a teacher at a private elementary school, added: “Let me tell you a little bit about Reaver. [he] We are only holding these hearings because there is a need.
“I’m glad he has finally acknowledged that the decision has been made,” she added. Why waste our time and yours? ”
Opponents say the devastating new tolls will put already struggling working classes, especially those in suburban boroughs and metropolitan areas that lack mass transit, into the lurch and put them out of work. They claim they will be forced to drive into the city for everything from medical treatment to life-saving cancer treatment.
They point out that the MTA loses millions of dollars a year to problems like fare evasion and wasteful spending that could be used for improvements if the agency did a better job.
But advocates say the new pricing, which could be introduced as early as mid-June, would make it easier to fund much-needed improvements while also reducing traffic, thereby reducing pollution. It is claimed that this will reduce the number of accidents, emergency response times, and traffic accidents.
John Gerard, a construction worker who drives his own car from Astoria, Queens, to work to transport tools, told the Post outside the MTA building on Friday.
“Who does this benefit? … The only people who suffer from this are the people who can’t already afford to pay their bills. And that’s me,” he said.
“I don’t know how much longer I can live in New York.”
Lisa, a babysitter who only gave her first name, said: “I always took the train to work, but because of the random attacks on the subway, my husband didn’t mind letting me take the train.” I didn’t think so.
“I may have to take the train again. And I know that’s the city’s desire for people to take the train. But at what cost? I Are we safe?” said Forest Hill, a Queens resident.
Dozens of members of the city’s Uniformed Firefighters Association also gathered outside the building to protest the toll, saying the toll not only causes extreme physical suffering to them, but also to passengers on the Big Apple’s subways. It’s a potentially deadly scenario, he said.
“So what we want to explain here is that firefighters in New York City routinely start their day at one fire station and are told to go to another. Pack your bags and travel to and from the zone,” union President Andrew Ansbro said.
“It is a long-standing practice that we allow the FDNY to use our vehicles to do this, which means taking away our ability to use our vehicles or forcing us to pay a fee. Members of this department will be given bags containing approximately 60 to 70 pounds of equipment and personal amenities, as needed.In the event of a fire, they will be removed and the fire department will transport the pipes to the local area. Please drop me off at the train or bus stop,” he said.
“Does anyone else think it makes sense to have a firefighter go through a 45-minute to hour-and-a-half CrossFit session before you expect him to come and save your life?”
The union official added: “The bags are contaminated with all kinds of fire byproducts, including arsenic, formaldehyde and PCBs.
“So do you think it makes sense for New York City firefighters to be forced to take buses and subways?”
