ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to scuttle the plan for congestion pricing in New York City in the final days of the 2024 legislative session drew both ire and support. Outside of the city, New Yorkers upstate won’t be able to ignore the downstate issue as the political fallout continues.
A French company, Alstom manufactures trains across New York, with facilities in Hornell, Plattsburgh, Kanona, and Rochester. On Wednesday, they drew a clear line to connect MTA congestion pricing to upstate economies.
“Congestion pricing is essential to supporting good-paying construction jobs downstate and manufacturing jobs upstate. Delaying this program will cut the budget of much-needed transit projects, and put jobs and local economies at risk statewide,” reads a statement from Dani Simons at Alstom America “We employ over 1,500 workers in New York State alone, who have built nearly 1 our of every 2 subway cars in the MTA’s fleet. Our supply chain includes dozens of vendors including DBEs across the state. Studies have found that MTA’s spending supports jobs in 147 or New York’s 150 state assembly districts. Indefinitely postponing congestion pricing means less funding for the MTA’s critical upgrades and modernization, and fewer jobs across the state.”
Alstom points to a data from watchdog group Reinvent Albany for the statistic about assembly districts. Indeed, in November 2023, Reinvent Albany said:
- MTA paid local businesses statewide $26 billion from 2014-2022
- MTA spending went to companies in 100% of congressional districts, 100% of state senate districts, and 98% (147 out of 150) assembly districts
- MTA’s Capital Plan would benefit companies throughout the state
- Congestion pricing should reduce pollution and traffic, save time, and create thousands of jobs statewide with MTA vendors (like Alstom)
“There is no plan B that can substitute for congestion pricing,” Reinvent Albany said in a statement Thursday morning. They want legislators to push the plan through, adding that the Assembly should “reject Governor Hochul’s disastrous proposal to cancel congestion pricing and blow a $15 billion hole in the MTA’s 2020-2024 capital plan.”
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams agreed that stopping the plan would be a mistake. “An indefinite pause on congestion pricing will do irreparable harm to the city while undermining public confidence in the program and its purpose,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Hudson Valley Republican Assemblymember Anil Beephan, Jr. celebrated the news. “Months after my proposal for a pricing exemption was turned down, I’m glad to see the governor has made the right decision—and has saved Hudson Valley commuters in the process,” he said in a statement.
State Sen. Monica Martinez, a Democrat from Long Island, applauded as well. “Though I recognize and support the need to reduce emissions for the health of our region, this goal must not be achieved by driving residents, businesses, and workers out of the city,” she said.
