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Malliotakis, Gottheimer Announce Federal Action to Fight NY’s Congestion Tax

August 15, 2022

Introducing legislation to increase transparency, hold the MTA accountable

(NEW YORK, NY) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) today announced bipartisan steps they are taking at the federal level to combat New York City's Congestion Pricing Program, including new legislation that would require that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct a full audit of the Metro Transit Authority (MTA) to see how its spent billions in federal assistance over the past five years.

Under the city's plan, commuters may be forced to pay an additional $23 toll to enter Manhattan south of 60th street, costing drivers more than $5,000 per year, and potentially more for Staten Islanders who already pay a toll to connect to the rest of the city. If the plan does move forward, Malliotakis is calling on the MTA to establish a credit system to prevent her constituents from being double-tolled.

"The fact that the City, State, and MTA are proposing a congestion tax to make up for lost revenue after they've received billions in federal assistance and opportunities to apply for matching grants through the federal infrastructure bill is absurd and goes to show how mismanaged the authority is," Malliotakis said. "Go after toll evaders, turnstile jumpers, and make New York City’s transit safe so more residents and tourists ride, but stop treating New Yorkers and American taxpayers like ATMs. The MTA is a notorious blackhole and the Inspector General should audit every federal dollar the MTA has received. Enough is enough."

Malliotakis and Gottheimer have already taken several steps to fight New York's congestion tax, including the Economic Impact of Tolling Actlegislation 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.

"If the report the MTA released proved anything, it’s that the bureaucratic and woefully mismanaged agency sees the hardworking Jersey and New York residents as their piggy bank. Every Congestion Tax scenario the MTA released last week will whack drivers with a new tax. It’s why I brought this piggy bank as a gift for the MTA. We will fight to make sure that this is the only dollar the MTA ever gets from their Congestion Tax,"Gottheimer said. "Can you imagine a hardworking nurse or Uber driver from Jersey having to pay $23 dollars a day on top of the $16 dollars they pay to go over the GW Bridge – not to mention what it costs for parking and gas? Just read MTA spelled backwards and it tells you exactly how the MTA looks at New Jersey right now: as their personal ATM. It’s time we audited the MTA that keeps pouring the dollars we’ve sent them into a black hole."

Malliotakis and Gottheimer encouraged those who oppose the congestion tax to submit comments to the MTA and let their voices be heard at virtual public hearings starting on August 25th. Comments can be emailed to CBDTP@mtabt.org or submitted at mta-nyc.custhelp.com/app/cbd_tolling. The schedule of virtual public hearings can be found here: https://new.mta.info/project/CBDTP.

To watch Malliotakis & Gottheimer's press conference, click 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.