Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that his – and the city’s – hands are tied when it comes to changing the controversial implementation of congestion pricing backed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Congestion pricing — New York City has very little input. I mean, New York State just wants to control New York City too often,” Adams said Wednesday during a Crain’s New York event to discuss the plan that could force motorists driving into Manhattan to pay up to $23 in fees during peak hours as soon as next year.
“How is this going to impact a high asthma district and make sure we aren’t being unfair to the outer boroughs?” Adams wondered, referring to the South Bronx district represented by Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres.
Although a longtime supporter of congestion pricing, Torres said he felt “ambushed” when MTA officials revealed that the Cross-Bronx Expressway could see over 700 trucks pass through on any given day under the new plan.
The Democrat said the program will likely increase the area’s already high level of congestion.
“We must have a thoughtful conversation, who we’re going to exempt [and] under what circumstance and I am open to do that and make sure that we get it right,” added Adams, reiterating calls for specific exemptions to be added to the plan.
He was also pro-congestion pricing on the mayoral campaign trail.
“This is what happens when the MTA makes bad spending decisions for decades,” Hizzoner tweeted along with a video of a flooded city subway station in July 2021.
“We need congestion pricing $ ASAP to protect stations from street flooding, elevate entrances and add green infrastructure to absorb flash storm runoff. This cannot be New York,” he said.
Hochul, meanwhile, denied there’s any discord with the Big Apple.
“We’re working together. We are hearing from the people of New York City and all the boroughs, their leadership, the mayor’s administration and like many other issues I work very closely with Mayor Adams to do what’s best for the people of this city,” she said later Wednesday during a separate event at the Javits Center with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy — a congestion pricing opponent.
Murphy has been very critical of congestion pricing, arguing paying for MTA’s anemic subway system cannot be done “on the backs” of Garden State residents.
“Whether it’s how we’re taxed by our neighbors or this proposal for a congestion-pricing scheme that would be a huge burden on commuters, we can’t have it both ways,” he told Bloomberg News earlier this month.
“We just want to make sure we’re standing up for our taxpayers and our commuters.”
City Hall later tried to walk back Adams’ critical comments in a statement.
“Mayor Adams was discussing the limited input the city had on the original congesting pricing bill,” said Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak.
“As the mayor has said repeatedly, he strongly supports congestion pricing so we can invest in mass transit and reduce traffic. We will continue to work closely with the state to ensure congestion pricing is rolled out fairly and equitably, and to ensure that New York City gets its fair share of resources to improve our environment, economy, and quality of life.”
