Mayor, Gov. Cuomo’s 10-point plan to fix MTA includes congestion pricing

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a 10-point plan Tuesday designed to create sustainable funding for the MTA going forward with the hope that it will pass in the state’s budget on April 1.
Some of the key points of the plan include a reorganization of the MTA designed to make the agency more efficient and effective, mass transit fare increases would be capped at 2 percent per year and changes to the fare evasion system.
The MTA would expedite the completion of the subway action plan, which involves major service improvements to trains, stations and other parts of the system.
There would also be an introduction of congestion pricing, installing electronic tolling devices in Manhattan's Central Business District – south of 61st Street.
Mayor de Blasio has been against congestion pricing in the past, but he explained that he had no choice but to change his mind.
"The physical needs of the MTA have gotten so great that I've come to the conclusion there is no way to achieve what we need without congestion pricing,” says the mayor. “The alternative to congestion pricing is really a fare increase, and it could be as high as 30 percent, I think that's wrong, it's wrong to further burden the riders."
The governor says they do not know how much the tolls will be. It will be determined by the capital plan. Gov. Cuomo says he hopes it will be up and running by Dec. 2020.