MTA Moving Forward With Big Plans Despite Funding Uncertainty

NEW YORK CITY, NY – Congestion pricing, or the plan to toll most drivers entering Manhattan at 60th Street or below, was scheduled to begin on June 30.

Until Governor Kathy Hochul delayed the program “indefinitely,” that is.

What exactly “indefinitely” means to a politician is anybody’s guess, but comments today by Jamie Torres-Springer, President of Construction and Development at the MTA, suggest that, in this case, “indefinitely” does not mean forever.

“The assumption is that the projects funded by congestion pricing are moving forward,” Torres-Springer said at a meeting on Monday, referring to the MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan.

Due to be released this fall, the plan will outline how the MTA intends to invest in its infrastructure. It’s separate from the agency’s operating budget, which documents how the MTA funds the actual operation of subways, trains, buses, bridges, and more.

“As the governor has said, and we take her at her word, the $15 billion will be restored and so the assumption is that those projects are all moving,” Torres-Springer added.

In a report released this May, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office warned that if the MTA's 2025-2029 capital plan is of a similar size to the previous plan and receives similar funding, “there could be a funding gap of $25 billion or greater, as most congestion pricing and other lockbox revenues will not be available.”

As of now, since Gov. Hochul's indefinite pause of the program, no funding from congestion pricing will be available.

Reached for comment, an MTA spokesperson said that Torres-Springer's remarks speak for themselves.

The capital plan is due on October 1st, and must be approved by the MTA’s board in September.

A recording of the July meeting is available here.