Malliotakis Blasts MTA Chairman over Congestion Pricing Comments: "Out of Touch with Reality"

(WASHINGTON, DC) - Today Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) blasted MTA chairman Janno Lieber for his comments calling those who oppose congestion pricing 'traffic deniers,' and likening them to conspiracy theorists.

"While Governor Hochul and Chairman Lieber are chauffeured around in their private, government-funded, gas-guzzling SUVs with taxpayers paying their EZ-pass bills, everyday New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet," Malliotakis said. "The last thing our constituents need at a time of record inflation is another $23 tax to commute to work, school, or for leisure. The pandemic severely disrupted our local economy; the city and state should be working to bring more people into central Manhattan, not encouraging them to go around it and hurt our local businesses in the process. I challenge the Governor and the Chairman to take public transportation from MTA Headquarters to Tottenville, Staten Island - then we can talk about adequate transit options to get commuters out of their cars."

Lieber's comments came the same day New York City Mayor Eric Adams voiced his concerns with the plan, saying 'New York State just wants to control New York City too often.'

Malliotakis added: "If Hochul and Lieber actually believe congestion pricing will be an effective program that will reduce traffic and vehicle emissions, they're completely out of touch with reality. Look no further than London which implemented this same program - it only led to more traffic and more congestion in areas outside the congestion zone. That's almost assuredly going to happen in New York, especially because the state and MTA are jamming this through without conducting the proper economic and environmental studies. The MTA knows this is nothing more than a widely unpopular cash-grab in its war on cars, and Lieber is grasping at straws to save it."

Malliotakis has joined Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) in spearheading a bipartisan effort to stop congestion pricing. They've introduced the Economic Impact of Tolling Act, legislation that would prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from implementing congestion pricing until a thorough economic impact analysis is completed and publicized, along with two amendments that would ensure federal dollars aren't used to implement congestion pricing unless certain criteria are met. Most recently, Malliotakis and Gottheimer wrote to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) calling for a more thorough analysis of how congestion pricing will impact commuters, tourists, and businesses, and have called for another extension of the public comment period.

Today is the last day for concerned citizens to submit written comment to the MTA, which can be done HERE.

Malliotakis serves on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure where she sits on the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.