WASHINGTON, DC –
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) today, April 24, introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the implementation of congestion pricing in New York City, a first-in-the-nation program that will charge commuters up to $15 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
“The MTA’s Congestion Pricing Plan is nothing more than a cash grab that will take more money from commuters and shift traffic from Manhattan to the outer boroughs, increasing pollution in my district, particularly in minority communities”, Malliotakis said.
“I’m proud to join my colleague in introducing this legislation to not only prohibit this cash grab from coming to fruition, but show there will continue to be a united front on the city, state and federal levels should the MTA move forward with this first in the nation plan. The MTA’s war on cars is bankrupting commuters, and we will continue to use every legal and legislative tool we have to stop it.”
Last month, the MTA granted final approval for congestion pricing in an 11-1 vote, green-lighting a $15 toll on the majority of commuters entering Manhattan south of 60th Street beginning in June 2024. As Congresswoman Malliotakis notes, no exemptions were given for Staten Island residents who already pay a toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to drive within the city in which they live, meaning residents who commute to Manhattan on a daily basis will be forced to pay more than $4,600 in tolls per year.
Last year, Malliotakis successfully added language prohibiting federal funding from being used to implement congestion pricing to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill, however, the provision was taken out by New York Senator Chuck Schumer during negotiations with the Senate.
“For years, hardworking families, nurses, teachers, law enforcement, small businesses, and commuters from Jersey and New York have spoken in unison: don’t raise our taxes, don’t pollute our children, & don’t whack us with the outrageous Congestion Tax,” Gottheimer said.“The mismanaged MTA’s Congestion Tax is nothing but a shameless cash grab that will lead to more traffic, pollution, and financial heartache for Jersey and New York families. That’s exactly why we’re introducing legislation at the federal level to stop it.”
