The MTA is Squandering Billions on NYC’s Congestion Pricing Plan

With congestion pricing officially in place, the tone-deaf individuals at the MTA are celebrating on nearly every news outlet, proclaiming how groundbreaking their regressive tax is, while asserting that it will enhance and ensure safer mass transit.

Excuse my skepticism, but if you believe what the MTA is promoting, I have a couple of bridges I’d like to sell you!

These are the same people whose latest Five-Year Capital Plan received a resounding rejection from two of New York’s most significant legislative figures—Carl Heastie and Andrea Stewart-Cousins—who questioned how the MTA intended to fund over half of its ambitious $65 billion proposal.

This lack of surprise is understandable. MTA Chairman and CEO John “Janno” Lieber and his executive team have been splurging recklessly for years, resulting in the MTA accumulating more debt than nearly 80% of states across the nation.

This is wholly unsustainable and indicative of their dismissive attitude toward the New Yorkers who finance their positions.

Severe mismanagement

In 2023, state taxpayers had to rescue the MTA from financial mismanagement with a bailout of $1 billion—no insignificant amount.

What’s disheartening is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Just consider the funds the MTA has squandered or failed to recover:

The MTA spent double the amount on Second Avenue subway consultants compared to the cost of tunneling for the subway itself.

They then decided to construct the subway stations at twice the necessary size, which added another billion dollars to the total project cost.

Additionally, the MTA faces an annual loss of approximately $700 million due to its neglect in enforcing fare payments.

In an attempt to rectify this, the MTA allocated $700,000 to install specialized gates meant to deter fare evaders, which are easily circumvented.

Moreover, the MTA invested $1 million in examining the “psychology” behind fare evasion.

The impact of this financial waste has tangible effects.

A recent audit by the state comptroller revealed the MTA’s failure to “maintain flood doors to its tunnels,” while an inspection by the MTA’s inspector general found that 41% of stations required urgent or imminent repairs, and 54% of emergency stairwells exhibited “serious defects.”

Additionally, public data indicates that only 23% of subway stations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Unsafe conditions

Furthermore, this does not even address the issue of safety on the subways, where the MTA and Governor Hochul have both failed dramatically.

Felony assaults have surged by 55% since 2019, murders are up over 300%, and in 2024, you are twice as likely to experience an assault in the subways compared to 2019.

All this crime that Janno Lieber dismisses as merely “in people’s heads.”

Can he possibly be more disconnected?

Lieber was confronted by Willie Geist on “Morning Joe” this past Tuesday, when the MSNBC host remarked: “To Congressman Lawler’s point, and it’s not just his point, the MTA operates on a $20 billion budget. An organization with a $20 billion budget should already be managing the subways effectively. They shouldn’t appear as they do at most of these subway stations; they shouldn’t operate the way they do on most of these trains. It’s unjustifiable to impose a $9 tax on a commuter to inject more funds into a system that seems to be failing the people of New York.”

Well articulated, Willie.

The MTA is spiraling into financial ruin, New York state is along for the tumultuous journey, and both commuters and taxpayers are bearing the brunt of the fallout.

If we ever hope to regain control of this chaotic situation, we must terminate the tenures of Hochul and Lieber and elect serious officials dedicated to fiscal reform and accountability.

Republican Mike Lawler represents New York’s 17th Congressional District.