NEW YORK, NY – by Revekka Papadopoulou
[Photos: GANP/ Dimitris Panagos]
“If Governor Hochul actually wants commuters to ride our subways, she should focus on making public transportation safe instead of taxing commuters into submission with this unfair congestion pricing scheme”, said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) commenting on New York City’s Congestion Pricing plan scheduled to begin today.
Expressing her disappointment at federal judge in New Jersey who refused to issue an injection to halt the plan on the day before it took effect, Malliotakis released a statement on January 4. “Unfortunately, yesterday Federal Judge Leon Gordon did not grant a temporary injunction to halt the congestion cash grab that starts tomorrow. We will continue to relentlessly fight this unfair tax on commuters and will have our days in court in both New York and New Jersey as we explore our options to stop the Hochul-MTA scheme from the federal level, although the best solution is for the state legislature to undo the mess they created”, she noted.
Malliotakis said she spoke with President – elect Donald Trump “who is just opposed to congestion pricing as we are and he understands the negative impact this new tax will have on residents and our economy”.
The New York Congresswoman vowed to “use every option at our disposal to stop this unjust invasion of New Yorkers’ wallets”.
Malliotakis is a plaintiff in one of the ongoing lawsuits against Congestion Pricing with UFT and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. The Federal Judge in that case denied an injunction on December 23, 2024.
Tannousis: “We will not give up the fight”
At the same time, NYS Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) posted on social media that “the MTA’s CONgestion pricing SCAM started today. Our battle in the courts continue. We will not give up the fight”.
Tannousis introduced legislation to repeal congestion pricing, require a financial audit of the MTA and require that MTA board members reside in one of the five boroughs. Tannousis, along with several of his colleagues, is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit brought forth in Richmond County Supreme Court to stop congestion pricing.
The Plan
The plan started at midnight Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 and charges most drivers $9 to enter Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone during peak hours [5 am – 9 pm] on weekdays. Tolls will be 75% lower during off-peak hours to encourage overnight deliveries.
