No congestion pricing for Rockland residents until we have a one-seat ride!

Congestion pricing is just the latest tax that benefits NYC at the expense of Rockland residents. It could add $15 or more for Rockland residents to get into NYC. For commuters these costs could be thousands of dollars a year. Unlike other parts of the metro area, Rockland residents have no quick or easy way to get into NYC by mass transit, there is no one-seat ride to Manhattan. If you agree that congestion pricing is unfair for Rockland, make your voice heard!

Taxation without Representation?

This whole scheme is a big win for NYC and those who will pay the biggest burden won’t even get a seat at the table. In the statement released yesterday by the MTA announcing that congestion pricing is "forging ahead", the MTA announced the first five members of the Traffic Mobility Review Board–one from Long Island, one from Westchester, and three from NYC. The sixth member and final member gets appointed by Mayor Adams. Let’s call on the MTA to appoint a representative from west of the Hudson. 

Creating a one-seat ride to Manhattan from Rockland

Plans are underway with funding by the federal infrastructure bill to get Rockland a quicker one-seat ride to NYC. Until that happens, forcing commuters to pay thousands of extra dollars to get to work in NYC is totally unacceptable. In the long term, we need to think big and invest in transformative projects like reestablishing passenger service on the Westshore Line which is currently used for freight traffic. Bringing back passenger service would give tens of thousands of Rocklanders a new convenient way to get into Manhattan.

Public comment period coming up

Public feedback on the soon-to-be-released environmental assessment on congestion pricing begins on or about August 10. Comments will be accepted online as well as email, mail, voicemail, fax and via a series of six hearings, which will be held online and accessible via mta.info/CBDTP during the last week of August. I encourage residents to speak up about the unfair burden congestion pricing forces on Rockland. 

Until Rockland has a one-seat ride to Manhattan, congestion pricing is an unfair tax to subsidize a transit system that doesn’t equitably serve our community.