MTA: Money made from congestion pricing will be used to address existing issues
NEW YORK -- New York City councilmembers questioned MTA officials Thursday morning before the MTA's Traffic Mobility Review Board gathered for a meeting hours later.
As tensions were rising in demonstrations outside City Hall on Thursday, things inside weren't all that different as MTA officials were pressed by the City Council on what congestion pricing will mean for their constituents.
"This ridiculous tax that's going to kill New York City," Councilmember Robert Holden said. "To me, congestion pricing -- and for most of my constituents -- is a giant tax scam."
"What the legislature has prescribed really does not benefit any type of resident of the outer boroughs," Councilmember Joann Ariola said.
The takeaways from MTA officials: the money that the city and MTA will make from congestion pricing will be added to the capital budget to address existing issues like replacing old buses and subway cars, adding elevators and other Americans With Disabilities Act upgrades, as well as signal upgrades and repairs -- improvements they say will make commutes faster and prevent delays.
Councilmembers' questions about adding new service in transportation deserts seemed to go unanswered. As far as timing and discounts, MTA officials continue to pass the baton to the Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB), which listened once again to MTA representatives in a meeting open to the public Thursday afternoon.
"The whole point is to get everybody out of their car. How are you gonna get to the city? I'm curious. Does anybody have an answer for that?" board member John Samuelsen said.
As frustration in the crowd mounted, Thursday's meeting was not meant to provide answers but continue the process of deliberation. Pricing is still up in the air, with tolls that could be up to $23. Discounts and exemptions are also up to the TMRB.
CBS New York's Doug Williams asked Samuelsen before the meeting what they're evaluating when it comes to who gets discounts and how much.
"Widespread discounts for low-income drivers, particularly on the fringes of the outer boroughs, where I don't expect, and hopefully members of the board agree with me, I don't expect somebody who has a 35-minute commute driving to turn that into an hour-and-a-half commute. It's ridiculous," he said.
Also something the board now has to consider is surcharges for Ubers and taxis. Among the public testimonies Thursday morning, were representatives of transportation agencies in favor of congestion pricing but with key variables: that drivers of for-hire vehicles, like Ubers, don't pay a congestion fee -- the passengers do -- and yellow cab drivers and passengers don't pay at all.
"We want to make sure that we're not suggesting something that would be an additional tax on that community. And that's why we're suggesting a per-trip surcharge of which the customer would pay," said Tiffany-Ann Taylor, vice president of transportation for the Regional Plan Association.
These proposed surcharges were also presented in the meeting to the TMRB by an MTA official, who now has to consider their merit. MTA officials told the board that their research shows people will use Uber no matter the price and that yellow cabs need the support.
In New Jersey, meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy wrote a letter to the board asking that New Jersey commuters get full credit on bridges and tunnels and in the Central Business District.
At least one more of these TMRB meetings is still to come.