Open Letter to the MTA Board on Congestion Pricing

An MTA Board meeting (Source: MTA).

Dear Members of the MTA Board,

All of us at the Effective Transit Alliance were as shocked as you to learn about Governor Hochul’s congestion pricing “pause.” As advocates, we are well aware of just how important congestion pricing financing is to the MTA’s capital budget. To attempt to cancel a program that took more than five years to bring to fruition, let alone a mere 25 days before its launch, is a deeply troubling way of creating policy.

At the funeral for Richard Ravitch, Governor Hochul spoke directly about how strongly he had urged her to get congestion pricing implemented. He knew—as you do, and as the Governor did before her reversal—just how vital congestion pricing is for the MTA.

Many esteemed legal experts and Comptroller Brad Lander have stepped forward with compelling arguments that the governor does not have the legal authority to institute a pause.  New York State law is clear that the congestion pricing program shall raise $15 billion for the 2020-2024 capital program, not to mention for future capital plans. Legally mandated ADA upgrades critically depend on these funds. Without them, even if all other expansion is canceled, the MTA will need to defer maintenance as it did in the 1970s.

We know this is not an easy position for any public servant to be in. Poor governance can create difficult decisions for those simply trying to do their jobs, and do what’s best for the agency they oversee and the region they serve.

With that said, we believe the board has tremendous power in this situation, and we would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the MTA is an independent organization by design precisely in order to insulate it from political pressures like this. As you decide what actions to take, we implore you to deeply consider not only your civic responsibility to Greater New York, but also your fiduciary responsibility to the agency you oversee.

Thank you for your time and your service,

The Effective Transit Alliance

Blair Lorenzo, Executive Director