Richard Korman
Too often discussions of public spending on transit and commuter rail leave out the entire political context. So it was good to hear Jamie Torres-Springer, chair of the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s construction unit at ENR’s NY-NJ Infrastructure Forum, describe the indefinite pause in June by state Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) of the city’s vital activity. congestion pricing plan as the “elephant in the room”.
Addressing event attendees Sept. 16 in Manhattan, he said he took Hochul “at his word” that he will either restore the plan in some form or find other means to get $15 billion than the plan to congestion had to provide for MTA capital spending. program (see story, p. 8).
Since Hochul canceled at the 11th hour a plan that was supposed to take effect on June 15, his motives have become even clearer: to regain control of the US House of Representatives to to the Democrats. This control is fundamental for the future of the two major political parties and their agendas.
That’s why Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a rally on September 18 in Nassau County, Long Island. He’s unlikely to carry New York to his bid for the White House, but down-ballot races in New York City’s suburbs, including a contested seat in my Hudson River Valley congressional district, are vital for the agendas of both parties. Hochul is not up for re-election, but to get voters who will support Democratic candidates, he is lending resources that include 37 field offices and 100 staffers, the New York Times reports.
I got a small taste of the hot button congestion pricing problem after riding a commuter bus home from the ENR event. On the back of the divider behind the bus driver’s passenger-facing seat was a poster that read, “Your bus fare is at risk.” Congestion pricing, the poster text explained, could increase the price of a bus ticket unless buses are exempt.
A one-way ticket to my city from the city bus terminal, if purchased without volume or senior discount, is now $12.50. These buses are important to many of my neighbors, and even at this high price, they are a vital link for those who cannot afford to own cars or pay the parking, toll and gas costs that come with any car trip In my opinion, congestion pricing would have exempted or partially exempted commuter buses even though they now carry fewer passengers than before the pandemic.
After a quarter of a century of bus commuting, I now drive into midtown and midtown Manhattan when I need or want to be there, and between garage fees and tolls, the trip rarely costs less than $50. Even without the cost of parking, suburban commuters could face several thousand dollars in higher commuting costs each year with congestion pricing.
That said, a revised plan for the metro area’s transit system, especially the subway, is not something that should be ignored until after Election Day. It needs to be prepared now to be ready to launch shortly after November 5th.
The subway is too important. Tokyo’s system works more smoothly and efficiently to connect this great city of 14.2 million people better than New York City’s. The system in Seoul, South Korea is comparatively quieter and cleaner. I have ridden them both. These systems are also perceived as safer than in New York City, where despite new anti-crime initiatives introduced from 2022 and a decrease in the incident rate last year, the rate cut still drains operating income and violence somewhere in the system has increased so far in 2024. , says The Times.
But neither is this system a dismal failure or a hopeless mess as it has been described. Essential Living, a London-based real estate company, is ranked number one globally for stations, tracking miles and train speed. The metro is also considered the most convenient as it operates 24 hours a day.
But a transit system soon to mark its 120th anniversary clearly needs significant investment in renewal and service improvement. Its 65 miles of elevated track and hundreds of miles of underground track are in “poor and marginal condition,” Torres-Springer said, with $9 billion to repair critical structures, including painting or waterproofing of 45 bridges and viaducts. Spending on elevators is also vital.
The subway is the river through which the lives of millions of New Yorkers, residents and workers, and visitors to the city flow. The towers that dwarf Manhattan’s skyline are not the city’s signature; they are the iconic underground trains of the metro. Whichever party wins the House majority, New York City needs an overhauled congestion pricing plan, and soon.
Deputy editor Richard Korman is ENR’s opinion editor.
