Cuomo Forced To Defend Why Congestion Pricing Panel Being Kept A Mystery Until After 2020 Election
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A war over congestion pricing is brewing in the Tri-state area.
New Jersey's Gov. Phil Murphy is again saying imposing a pricey tax on drivers entering Manhattan is not fair for New Jersey – whose drivers are already tolled for entering the Big Apple.
New York's Gov. Cuomo is defending his controversial plan and the even more unpopular scheme of keeping the details of the pricing plan a secret until after the 2020 election.
The fact that congestion pricing was passed in the dead of night with all the key details set to be released after the next election has Gov. Murphy furious and now demanding a cut of the lucrative revenue stream that threatens to cripple driver's bank accounts.
"I've got to stand up with vigilance and a steel backbone for our commuters," Murphy said Thursday.
Murphy is also furious at reports that people who use the George Washington Bridge will have to pay a hefty fee to enter Manhattan's central business district, while those who use the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels will not.
The fact is, right now, no one knows who will get toll forgiveness from the shadowy, backroom deal.
Cuomo and Albany lawmakers are trying to immunize themselves from the public's anger by having a yet-to-be-named, mystery committee decide all the pricing details.
Suspiciously convenient for Cuomo's panel, it won't be assembled until after voters pick their elected officials in 2020 – meaning voters won't be allowed to know where those lawmakers stand on congestion pricing and possible exemptions before voting to re-elect or oust them.
"Why is it that it will be made public after the 2020 elections, so that people who are running for re-election can't have to pay the price?" CBS2's Marcia Kramer asked Gov. Cuomo in a face-to-face interview.
"You cannot have a toll until you put in the electronic tolling," the governor said, sidestepping the question.
"Looks like Albany chicanery," Kramer charged.
"You are so Machiavellian, even I didn't think that," Cuomo replied, trying to laugh off the accusation that state lawmakers are hiding the details of congestion pricing until the last minute before sticking drivers with a back-breaking bill.
During a speech before the Association for a Better New York, Cuomo said setting the tolls will be a multi-step process. It will reportedly depend on a capital plan drawn up by the chronically embattled MTA to fix their subways, buses, Metro North, and the LIRR.
"If you already paid a toll to come in then that will be taken into account. Some bridges are free, you don't pay a toll. Some bridges you do pay a toll," Cuomo said in a vague explanation of his plan.
That's exactly what Gov. Murphy is worried about. He wants equity and wants Cuomo to cut him in and pay for upgrades to New Jersey's buses and trains.
"The solution cannot be one with the unintended consequences of making traffic worse and increasing reliance on regional rail partners without their receiving additional support," Gov. Murphy warned.
Not surprisingly, Murphy's cash demand received a chilly reception from New York's top executive. Team Cuomo insisted the tolls will be applied fairly and claimed that fixing the MTA will benefit the entire region "including New Jersey."
One transit expert suggested Murphy could raise money to fix NJ TRANSIT by doing congestion pricing in Newark and other cities.
Just what drivers wanted to hear – another toll.
