New Legislation Introduced In House To Kill NYC’s Congestion Pricing Scheme – Expected To Generate Revenue, Harm Working NYers With Excessive Tolls

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Malliotakis, Gottheimer Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Kill New York City’s Congestion Pricing Program

Editor’s note: Representative Malliotakis is also participating in a lawsuit led by Staten Island’s borough president to stop congestion pricing through legal means.  In the event the lawsuit fails, this legislation would make congestion pricing implementation impossible. 

WASHINGTON, DC) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)  introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the implementation of congestion pricing in New York City, a first-in-the-nation program that will charge commuters up to $15 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.

“The MTA’s Congestion Pricing Plan is nothing more than a cash grab that will take more money from commuters and shift traffic from Manhattan to the outer boroughs, increasing pollution in my district, particularly in minority communities,” Malliotakis said.

“I’m proud to join my colleague in introducing this legislation to not only prohibit this cash grab from coming to fruition, but show there will continue to be a united front on the city, state, and federal levels should the MTA move forward with this first in the nation plan. The MTA’s war on cars is bankrupting commuters, and we will continue to use every legal and legislative tool we have to stop it.”

Last month, the MTA granted final approval for congestion pricing in an 11-1 vote, green-lighting a $15 toll on the majority of commuters entering Manhattan south of 60th Street beginning in June 2024. No exemptions were given for Staten Island residents who already pay a toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to drive within the city in which they live, meaning residents who commute to Manhattan on a daily basis will be forced to pay more than $4,600 in tolls per year.

Last year, Malliotakis successfully added language prohibiting federal funding from being used to implement congestion pricing to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill, however, the provision was taken out by New York Senator Chuck Schumer during negotiations with the Senate.

“For years, hardworking families, nurses, teachers, law enforcement, small businesses, and commuters from Jersey and New York have spoken in unison: don’t raise our taxes, don’t pollute our children, & don’t whack us with the outrageous Congestion Tax,” Gottheimer said.

“The mismanaged MTA’s Congestion Tax is nothing but a shameless cash grab that will lead to more traffic, pollution, and financial heartache for Jersey and New York families. That’s exactly why we’re introducing legislation at the federal level to stop it.”

Malliotakis is a founding member of the bipartisan Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus that has introduced several pieces of legislation to stop congestion pricing, including the Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act and the Economic Impact of Tolling Act. Malliotakis is also a plaintiff on a federal lawsuit against the MTA, alleging the agency skirted federal environmental law to implement congestion pricing without conducting the proper studies.

Banner Image: Legislation announcement press conference. Image Credit – Rep. Malliotakis


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Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was sworn in on January 3, 2021 to represent Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn. Prior to serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. In the Assembly, she served as Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. For five terms, Congresswoman Malliotakis fought to restore ethics in Albany, expand transit service in her district, improve programs for senior citizens, reform education and improve New York’s economic climate by reducing the tax burden on small businesses and residents. A cornerstone of her tenure was helping her community recover and rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition to advocating for these same issues in Washington, Congresswoman Malliotakis is acutely focused on securing New York’s fair share of federal mass transit funding, which would go towards expanding transportation services and easing traffic congestion, while also championing public safety by supporting our nation’s law enforcement officers. Congresswoman Malliotakis is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only Republican member representing New York City in Congress, representing a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. She is a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws, and in her spare time, enjoys spending time with her chihuahua, Peanut.

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