Malliotakis: MTA Public Comment Extension is an Insult to New Yorkers

(STATEN ISLAND/BROOKLYN, NY) - Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) released the following statement regarding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) extension of its public comment period for the Central Business District Tolling (CBDT) Program's Environmental Assessment (EA), otherwise known as Congestion Pricing. Malliotakis has spearheaded a bipartisan effort to extend the public comment period for 60 days and is pushing the MTA to conduct full, thorough, and transparent environmental and economic impact studies.

"While I'm pleased to see the public comment period has been extended following my personal appeal to the FHWA, a 14-day extension is still not enough for New Yorkers who demand their voices be heard and need time to review the 1,000-page EA. This first-in-the-nation program has the potential to cost commuters an additional $5,000 per year, while the true impact on businesses and tourism remains unknown. Not only should the MTA be extending the public comment period for a total of 60 days so all New Yorkers have a fair opportunity to express their concerns about congestion pricing, but it should also thoroughly examine the environmental and economic impact this program will have before it's implemented. If the MTA is going to jam this cash-grab through, it is the responsibility of FHWA as the leading federal agency to ensure the public has ample time to review it and respond."

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.