Congestion Pricing Continues, Now What

Elected Officials Bankrupted the MTA Which Governor Rockefeller Invented a Generation ago to Avoid Blame for Bad Transit Service

• POST EDITORIAL: Say NO to secret tax hike to bail out eternally flailing MTA…

New York was defiant in the face of the Trump administration’s demand that the tolling program end by Friday. Now, Washington is willing to wait a month.

In a combative post on social media, Mr. Duffy described the program as “unlawful” and said he was putting Gov. Kathy Hochul on notice.

“Your refusal to end cordon pricing and your open disrespect towards the federal government is unacceptable,” he said, calling the tolls a “slap in the face to hard working Americans.”

NYTIMES: Trump Officials Ordered Congestion Pricing to End Friday. Now What? As the March 21 deadline looms, the M.T.A. has refused to stop the tolls and sued the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, and federal officials in federal court in Manhattan. The Subtext of a Trump Official’s Letter to the M.T.A. Sean Duffy, secretary of transportation, demanded information about crime in the subway system. But transit watchers saw a different agenda.

NYC congestion pricing axed as Trump’s DOT pulls approval of hated toll

Update: KATH HOCHUL TO TRUMP: “We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king. The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court.”

Trump’s transportation secretary puts Hochul ‘on notice’ with last-minute extension to shut down NYC congestion pricing

• MTA sees green with congestion pricing, as tolls bring in $100M during first 2 months… BLOOMBERG: Transportation Secretary Slams NYC Subway, Pressures MTA… NYTIMES: U.S. Threatens to Cut Off M.T.A. Funds Over Subway Safety… Albany must fund the MTA capital plan With a March 21 federal deadline to end congestion pricing in Manhattan now confronting the... Hochul vows fight to keep congestion pricing as feds set March 21 deadline to end toll Trump admin sets deadline to shut down congestion pricing — but Hochul says NY won’t comply: ‘Trying to overrule New Yorkers’… Trmp Says He Might Use U.S. Transit Agency to ‘Kill’ Congestion Pricing NY Post Reports Trump reveals plan to ‘kill’ NYC congestion pricing — here’s how President Donald Trump has formulated a plan to force New York to “kill” congestion pricing tolls in the city by withholding funds through the Department of Transportation, he told The New York Post in an exclusive interview. Among potential penalties available to the agency are withholding millions of dollars in funding and reopening the environmental review process that authorized the toll under the Biden administration. Trump also vowed to rid Big Apple streets of bike lanes and criminal migrants, the president told The Post in an exclusive interview. Among potential penalties available to the agency are withholding millions of dollars in funding and reopening the environmental review process that authorized the toll under the Biden administration. At risk is part of the $36 billion in five-year federal transportation funding to New York state that extends to the end of 2026. Other federal grants might also be affected if Trump pounces on what New Yorkers are calling the congestion con. Congestion pricing is giving NYC’s ultra-wealthy elite a fast lane while normal New Yorkers suffer, CEO warns

Trump also vowed to rid Big Apple streets of bike lanes and criminal migrants, the president told The Post in an exclusive interview.

Congestion Pricing Updates: NYTIMES: Can Trump Still Kill Congestion Pricing After U.S. Lawyers Showed Doubt? MTA pitches $68 billion capital plan in Albany amid concerns over federal funding State and local contributions were expected to total up to an additional $8 billion in funding, but Gov. Hochul’s executive budget earlier this year bumped that down to $6 billion What remains is $35 billion yet to be accounted for. Pray Marc Molinaro, heading the Federal Transit Administration, helps kill Hochul’s Midtown toll Trump Administration Considers Halting Congestion Pricing The New York City tolling program began on Jan. 5 after defying obstacles for decades. A move to stop it would likely touch off a legal battle between the state and federal government. The South Bronx Has a Pollution Issue. Congestion Pricing May Worsen It… Trump to name congestion pricing opponent Marc Molinaro to oversee transit Trump promised to kill congestion pricing — here’s how he can actually make it happen NYC congestion pricing: Rep. Malliotakis, colleagues introduce bills to ‘reverse’ the tolling program Trump tells NY Republicans he wants to ‘kill’ congestion pricing: ‘It’s got to go’ 'Public health crisis' FDNY unions say congestion toll will hurt response times: ‘Could mean the difference between life and death’ First congestion toll plan in US facing serious hurdles under Trump Companies making deliveries or providing services in the central business district south of 60th Street are sending out notices that they will add the cost of the fee as a surcharge in their bills to customers. Food industry feeling the cost of NYC congestion pricing… Congestion pricing advocate attacked at NYC subway station… Hell on wheels NYC congestion pricing turns upper Manhattan nabes into parking ‘war zone’ — as drivers take up spots to avoid toll These NYC politicians, including Eric Adams, supported the congestion toll — but they don’t have to pay it: ‘How convenient’ The NYC subways’ electrical equipment is so old it frequently explodes… New Jersey floats its own congestion toll for New York drivers… It costs the MTA $500 million to install the congestion pricing cameras Congestion toll chaos will push commuters to ditch their cars in northern Manhattan, outer boroughs: ‘New park-and-ride’

Outrage as NY subway boss Lieber says fear of crime on transport network is 'in people's heads'

MTA boss Janno Lieber’s $400K pay — more than the US president’s salary — slammed amid congestion toll fight MTA boss Janno Lieber brushes off subway crime as ‘in people’s heads’ as congestion pricing kicks in — despite recent rash of violent incidents If Janno Lieber thinks gaslighting New Yorkers will fix the subways, it’s in his own head BOOM: MTA plans to hire $186M consultant to oversee subway construction… Q gotta be kidding MTA greenlights $250M for consultants to expand Second Avenue subway — at expected cost of $4.3B per mile to build NY POST: Fix the transit system we have before blowing $7.7B on 2nd Ave. subway extension… NY1: Lieber defends MTA as Duffy attacks…

How Elected Officials Bankrupted the MTA While Keeping Their Hands Clean With Puppets Like Lleber

After the MTA’s inspector general exposed yet another flagrant waste of taxpayer money, the NY Post reported on the latest glaring example of the authority's egregious mismanagement of public funds. This time, the MTA squandered a staggering quarter of a billion dollars on station intercoms that became entirely ineffective due to thousands of prank calls—despite the fact that cell phones, already in the hands of every rider, could serve the same safety purpose at no additional cost to the MTA. Ironically, this amount of wasted taxpayer money is roughly equivalent to the first year’s projected revenue from the controversial congestion pricing tax, further highlighting the continuing extra cost to New Yorkers and the economic damage to the city from the MTA’s reckless spending.

Ironically, the Post's call for fiscal responsibility comes from a newspaper that has published countless articles exposing the MTA's long history of squandering billions of taxpayer dollars over the years. While the Post and much of the New York City media routinely blame the MTA for poor service and waste, they overlook the deeper structural interference created by elected officials.

The Post headline condemning the wasteful subway intercom project places blame squarely on the MTA, but in doing so, the paper inadvertently falls into the gaslighting trap set more than half a century ago by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. As part of his reelection campaign, Rockefeller sought to deflect responsibility for the collapse of the once-thriving Long Island Railroad system by creating a bogus authority to deceive both the public and the press. This tactic allowed him to shift blame for declining transit service while secretly maintaining control over the system through board members he personally appointed.

The Post and the rest of New York City media are abdicating their journalistic duties by failing to inform the public that the MTA was deliberately created as a political shield for elected officials. This design protects them from accountability for the MTA’s poor transit service, wasteful spending, mounting debt, and disastrous urban planning. By overlooking this crucial context, the media allows the true culprits causing a meltdown of the city’s subways—elected officials—to escape a political price, while continuing to mismanage the city's transit system.

Elected officials have turned the MTA into a tool for advancing their own political agendas—funding vanity projects, keeping state and city subsidies artificially low, and striking lucrative wage deals with politically powerful unions that block necessary work rule reforms. In pursuit of these goals, they have transformed the MTA into a debt-ridden "borrowing junkie," relying on ever-expanding loans and revenue schemes like congestion pricing to stay afloat. In 2010, the MTA faced a budget deficit of $400 million. Today, 15 years later, that deficit has exploded to nearly $50 billion, a staggering rise that underscores the authority’s worsening financial instability and years of political mismanagement. Despite a 2022 audit from NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, which warned of the dangers of the MTA’s growing dependence on leveraged borrowing, both the media and elected officials have turned a blind eye to Albany borrowing scheme, allowing this reckless path to continue unchecked.

Like any addict, the MTA is in desperate need of an intervention. Unfortunately, the media’s failure to provide historical context and their lack of understanding about the structural issues behind the MTA makes it unlikely that they will pressure elected officials to reform the agency. Without this critical awareness, the media is failing to equip voters with the information necessary to elect leaders who will either overhaul the MTA or dismantle it altogether.

Astonishingly, the only realistic hope for rescuing the subway and revitalizing the city may rest with President Trump, who has already expressed a keen interest in addressing New York City’s transit crisis. His leadership could spark a groundbreaking shift, bringing forth bold, innovative solutions like Elon Musk’s proposed DOGE takeover to tackle the MTA’s chronic mismanagement, waste, and overspending. With Musk’s expertise in cutting-edge technologies—such as the driverless cabs already operating in San Francisco—it’s entirely plausible that New York’s subway system could see driverless trains before the end of this decade. Additionally, a state-of-the-art closed-circuit video system could be implemented to combat crime, homelessness, and mental illness on the subways (see footnote 2), ushering in a transformative new era for the city’s transportation infrastructure and setting a global standard for innovation and safety on NYC subways.

MTA Votes In Approval To Raise Subway Fare To $3 Update: Albany rejected the MTA's budget due to a multi-billion dollar deficit MTA to STOP selling MetroCards by the end of the year… Train and suffering MTA threatens another ‘Summer of Hell’ of subway disruptions if NYC doesn’t cough up billions — as transit agency touts its ‘great service’

How New York’s Elected Officials in the 1960s Created the Gaslighting MTA to Shield Politicians, the Real Transportation Decision-Makers, From Blame

In 1965, facing a tough reelection battle partly fueled by the collapse of Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service, Governor Nelson Rockefeller successfully pushed the New York State Legislature to create the MTA. This new public authority was tasked with purchasing, operating, and modernizing the LIRR. Rockefeller, who came from a family skilled in creating monopolies, deftly outmaneuvered both Mayor John Lindsay and Robert Moses, head of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, who both sought to retain city control over its transit system. By 1968, Rockefeller pushed the state lawmakers to place the city’s subways and buses under MTA control, a move that served his political interests but set the stage for decades of mismanagement. What was initially conceived as a political maneuver to secure Rockefeller’s reelection has since evolved into a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy—an unaccountable “piggy bank” controlled by elected officials, fostering waste, mismanagement, and bankruptcy. The MTA has caused significant economic harm to the NYC economy, with residents and tourists alike avoiding the subway due to out-of-control crime. If the MTA’s Ponzi scheme congestion pricing moves forward, it threatens to deliver a final, crippling blow to the city’s already fragile economy, which has already seen a half a million taxpayers’ leave the city along with a trillion in Wall Street businesses.

Brodsky: The Last Elected Official to Fight for MTA Reform—A Legacy Forgotten By Today’s Media

In the early 2000s, the late Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, often hailed as Albany's "Conscience" by the New York Times, was the last elected official to make a serious push for reforming the MTA. Known for his relentless advocacy and tireless efforts to expose the rampant abuses of power by state authorities, Brodsky sought to bring accountability to the MTA, by demanding greater oversight of its budget and curbing the agency’s habitual overspending on development projects. He believed that public authorities like the MTA had become metaphorical piñatas, continuously battered by the public and media, while elected officials, unions, bond dealers, and contractors benefited or profited with the unaccountable authority at the public’s expense. Brodsky’s work was an attempt, a call for reforms that would place accountability back where it belonged—on the shoulders of elected officials, unfortunately failed.

Yet, despite his courageous leadership efforts, no one today seems to know about or care about Brodsky’s attempts to amend the Public Authority Act of 1921. This law, which shields elected officials from direct responsibility, allows them to appoint board members who oversee the MTA and state’s other nineteen public authorities, thus enabling them to avoid blame for the MTA's persistent failures. Brodsky’s push to dismantle these structural protections and hold decision-makers accountable for transportation has largely been forgotten by the current leaders of the press, City Hall and Albany.

The true culprit behind the MTA's financial crisis is not the powerless, transient leaders of the agency—often appointed more for their public relations skills than for their ability to manage a complex transit system—but the elected officials who use them as puppets to deflect responsibility. Today, despite the half-a-billion dollars expected to be generated by congestion pricing, the MTA’s crippling $50 billion debt remains largely unaddressed, and several fare hikes are already on the horizon during the years. Brodsky's warnings about the long-term consequences of this political structure have gone unheeded, the lack of political transparency that Brodsky warned about has been a major factor in causing the subway’s crisis and the city’s weakened economy.

When Brodsky left office in 2010, the MTA was dealing with a projected budget deficit of $400 million, which it managed through deferrals and reserves. However, with the decline of traditional news media, the MTA has spiraled into deeper financial instability without the knowledge or understanding of the public. Over the past two decades, elected officials borrowed tens of billions of dollars to fund operating expenses, over-budgeted vanity projects, and politically motivated labor agreements, pushing the MTA to the brink. The New York Times reported in 2017 that “efforts to add new lines have been hampered by generous agreements with politically powerful labor unions and pay to play private contractors that have inflated construction costs to five times the international average.” These reckless decisions were compounded by the failure of the media to pressure elected officials to properly use new technology in the trains (see Footnote #2) to reduce crime, homelessness, and mental illness, all of which are making the subways unusable to many New Yorkers and tourists.

The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the MTA’s woes, with ridership plummeting by 30-40% due to the shift toward remote. The result of these compounded missteps, effective crime fighting, mismanagement, and out of control borrowing, is not only causing the financial collapse of the MTA, which will further hurt its ability to effectively serve the public, exacerbating an already fragile city economy.

The in-toll-erable Kathy Hochul owes New Yorkers an apology for her MTA malpractice – which has cost the city billions The latest evidence of malpractice comes from the Post report that deadbeat drivers skipped out on the agency’s bridge and tunnel tolls to the tune of $5.1 billion over four years, including $1.4 billion last year alone. MTA not saving enough on purchasing, audit finds MTA audit reveals financial mismanagement concerns DiNapoli: MTA Needs To Do More To Increase Procurement Efficiencies and Save Money Uncovering fraud and waste in the MTA's $20 billion budget Money pit MTA kept paying contractors despite poor reviews New York Senate Republicans want MTA audit Rolison renews call for MTA audit in wake of congestion pricing debacle Audit: Poor planning led MTA to needlessly spend millions MTA capital projects plagued by cost overruns, delays: audit State Audit Slams MTA for Extensive Delays, Cost Overruns Audit finds maintenance deficiencies in subway security equipment MTA security cameras face comptroller audit after failure during subway mass shooting Problems with New York’s subway cameras date back years. Audit finds maintenance deficiencies in subway security equipment DiNapoli: MTA budget issues to persist despite congestion pricing Taking its toll New Yorkers fume over revelation MTA lost $5.1B on unpaid tolls, violations as honest drivers slapped with congestion pricing Budgeting to Avoid ‘Summer of Hell’: Your Guide to the MTA’s Capital Program NY county sick of being ‘MTA’s ATM’ with little service in return — and wants out of transit agency: pols More delays to MTA’s East New York Depot repairs mean millions more in overtime

Political Neglect and Media Complicity Have Devastated the Subways and the NYC's Economy

The lack of political accountability, compounded by the media’s failure to place blame for the MTA’s melt down, has allowed decades of mismanagement and unchecked spending to continue. By failing to expose the structural flaws within the MTA, the media has inadvertently facilitated a narrative controlled by politicians who manipulate public perception for their own gain. Elected officials, aware of the public’s limited understanding of who controls the MTA, have skillfully used the agency’s failures—such as homelessness, crime, and flooding in the subway—as convenient talking points during reelection campaigns attacking the MTA. By shifting blame onto the MTA, they deflect responsibility for their own role in the system’s decline, all while scoring political points.

Elected officials are more concerned with securing reelection than taking responsibility for the subway system’s dysfunction, and have cultivated a culture of mismanagement at the MTA. The agency’s chairman, chosen more for his public relations acumen than his expertise in urban planning or transportation, embodies this culture of incompetence and waste. Decades of reckless spending, corruption, and a continuous cycle of borrowing have turned the MTA’s subway system—once the healthy lifeblood of New York City—into a toxic dump. The ongoing crises of crime, mismanagement, and homelessness in the subway system are not just undermining public safety but are also inflicting severe damage to the city’s economy. Empty office buildings, a decline in tourism, and the shuttering of restaurants, stores, and Broadway shows all serve as stark reminders of the broader economic toll caused by the MTA’s failures. The implementation of congestion pricing will only accelerate this decline, driving more businesses and residents out of the city and increasing costs for those who remain.

New York’s elected officials have severely damaged the subway system, which is essential to the city’s economy and the daily functioning of its residents. The subway provides crucial access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and cultural hubs across all five boroughs, serving as the backbone of the city’s workforce—particularly for those in lower-income and essential roles. It is a vital engine for commerce, tourism, and business, driving the local economy and ensuring New York City’s continued global competitiveness. The subway’s ability to move people swiftly and safely is indispensable to maintaining the city’s reputation as a dynamic, fast-paced urban center. Without a fully functional transit system, the city’s vibrancy, productivity, and capacity to attract and retain businesses are all at risk, threatening the very foundation of NYC economic growth and competitive edge.

Subway Crimes Update Suspect in New York City subway burning death pleads not guilty to murder charge Killing of Michelle Go

Bad Press: Public Blames the MTA for Costly Over-Budgeted Projects, but the Real Culprits Are Elected Officials

The army of press agents on the MTA’s payroll is not focused on addressing the public’s concerns about service failures. Instead, their role is to deflect attention from the agency's rampant overspending, mismanagement, and poor planning. With strategic, distraction-heavy press releases announcing new programs, they act as a shield for the true decision-makers behind the MTA's crisis: the elected officials. A 2015 New York Post article detailing the cost overruns on the reconstruction of the Fulton Street subway station, which saw its price tag nearly double to $1.4 billion and its opening delayed by seven years, made no mention of the elected officials who were responsible. Similarly, a 2024 Post article highlighted crime and vacant stores at the same billion-dollar station, yet again failed to point the finger at the politicians accountable. According to WNYC, none of the elected officials present at the Fulton Station opening in 2014—including Congressman Jerry Nadler, Senator Charles Schumer, and the late Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver—were willing to comment on the MTA’s massive budget deficit in its proposed 2015-2019 capital budget plan. Their silence speaks volumes, revealing the political collusion, amplified by the press, that continues to protect elected officials from accountability for the MTA’s wasteful practices.

The press rarely questions elected officials about the colossal overspending by the MTA, opting instead to blame a faux authority created by politicians to shield themselves from scrutiny. Take, for instance, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) extension to Grand Central Station. Originally slated to open in 2009 at a cost of $3.4 billion, the project ballooned to an astounding $13 billion for just two miles of track. Similarly, the 7-train extension to Hudson Yards has become the world’s most expensive subway track at $2.5 billion per mile, while the 24-block extension of the 2nd Avenue Subway is costing $4.4 billion, averaging $2.5 billion per mile. Meanwhile, the MTA wasted $31 million building an unnecessary extra staircase at Times Square and squandered $4 billion remaking the Fulton Street Station in Manhattan. Former Comptroller Stringer’s audit revealed pervasive mismanagement and waste in the MTA’s Access-A-Ride program, leaving tens of thousands of New Yorkers stranded, with manipulated pick-up and drop-off times designed to present a false picture of performance. Meanwhile, billions were spent on lavish station makeovers and vanity projects that did nothing to improve service or reliability, all while the trains continued to rely on a 1930s-era signaling system with deteriorating, cloth-covered cables, as exposed by The New York Times in 2017.

As Temperatures Plunge, Subways Serve as Rolling Shelters Off the rails Why straphangers are scared to tell noisy commuters to turn down their phones: ‘Behavior backed by the threat of violence’ NYTIMES: ‘Sea Change’ in the Subway: Assaults Outnumber Robberies…

MTA's Camera System Failure: Why New Technology and Leadership Are Essential to Save the Subways and NYC

The MTA continues to struggle with its outdated and inefficient camera system, a failure that has contributed to rising crime, homelessness, and attacks by the mentally ill across the subway system, preventing the city’s economic recovery. Despite spending billions since the1990s, the MTA has yet to implement a fully functional closed-circuit television (CCTV) system in the subways, which could play a critical role in preventing crime, homelessness, and removing those suffering from mental illness, ensuring public safety. Currently, most of MTA’s cameras only connect to tape recorders, viewing footage from those cameras requires an extra step—leading to inefficiencies, extra costs, and wasted man hours, that hinder law enforcement response.

Despite the presence of 3,000 repeat career criminals and several hundred violently mentally ill individuals with extensive police records regulary riding the subways, New York State's recent budget inexplicably prohibited the MTA from using facial recognition technology for fare and criminal enforcement. This decision undermines efforts to address fare evasion, which costs the transit system hundreds of millions annually, and compromises public safety by limiting tools that could deter known offenders with open arrest warrents. Instead of empowering the MTA to maintain order and security on the subways, lawmakers have tied its hands, prioritizing ideological concerns over public safety solutions to protect commuters.

In 2019 alone, the MTA received over 12,000 requests for video footage, requiring more than 53,000 man-hours to process. This bureaucratic backlog underscores the incompetence of the current system, which often fails to provide real-time support during emergencies. Tragically, this was evident during the 2022 shooting by Frank James on the N train at the Sunset Park 36th Street station, where the cameras, if working properly, could have potentially prevented or mitigated the crisis. Instead, they provided only post-crime evidence on other N line stations (the cameras at 36^th Street were broken), after ten people were shot and over a dozen others injured.

The MTA’s failure to modernize its camera system contrasts sharply with the success of the London subway system, which has had a live CCTV network in place for over 20 years. Installed initially to catch terrorists who blew up their subway system in 2005. London's system now monitors virtually every station and train in real time, enabling authorities to stop crimes before they occur. This proactive approach, driven by a robust, live-connected CCTV network, has greatly contributed to reducing crime and terrorism on London’s transit system.

Given the rapid advances in technology and the growing threat to public safety, it's time for the MTA to embrace a similar system. The new NYPD Police Commissioner, Jesica Tish, who used to work with the NYPD on technology, should spearhead a modern, live CCTV system for the city's subway that can connect to every NYPD officer’s smartphone. The NYPD close circuit camera network, if far advanced, of the MTAs can already connect pictures of criminals right after they commit their latest crime. The MTA should also consider reaching out to tech innovators like Elon Musk to take control of NYC's subway camera network, his star link satellite system can connect all the station cameras without costly hard wiring and install cameras on every train with live, closed-circuit network system that can be monitored in a new COMPSTAT Transit NYPD headquarters.

With the right leadership and technological upgrades, New York City’s subway system could finally match the capabilities of global counterparts like London, addressing both the escalating safety crisis and rampant fare evasion. Fare evasion alone costs the MTA an estimated $119 million annually from turnstile jumping, not to mention the billions lost as New Yorkers are increasingly afraid to use the subway due to safety concerns. By implementing closed-circuit TV (CCTV) systems, the MTA could enable real-time monitoring that directs police and mental health professionals to individuals in crisis or those committing crimes, ensuring a faster, more efficient response. Additionally, facial recognition technology could automatically identify fare evaders, eliminating the need for costly guards at turnstiles and freeing up valuable police resources. These high-tech advancements would not only reduce crime but also improve the overall experience for riders, reopening the subway system to over a million New Yorkers and tourists who need and want to use the transit system.

Nearly $800 million the MTA lost because bus and subway riders refused to pay their fares last year.

Fare Beaters Updates: MTA delaying emergency gate openings to thwart fare evaders – as critics sound alarms over safety: ‘Putting people’s lives at risk’ Razor's e dge MTA installs spikes at NYC subway station to deter fare evaders but straphangers skeptical it will work NYC fare evader vaults over MTA’s new turnstile spikes at subway station less than 36 hours after installation: ‘Don’t give a f–k’ SNL WEEKEND UPDATE: NYC Subway Spikes… MTA wasting $1M to study ‘psychology’ of fare beaters Slight inconvenience MTA installs metal shields on turnstiles at NYC subway station in latest feeble attempt to stop fare beating