Good policy but difficult politics: Rep. Dan Goldman talks future of congestion pricing

Hours before the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved Gov. Kathy Hochul’s revised congestion pricing plan, Rep. Dan Goldman applauded the tolling scheme’s return while warning about the potential negative impact that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump could have on New York City’s public transit.

Goldman, joined by Rep. Ritchie Torres, spoke at a breakfast event for trustees of the Citizens Budget Commission on Monday morning. He said that the newly unpaused congestion pricing plan – with tolls lowered from $15 to $9 – is “objectively … good policy,” even as it continues to face staunch opposition from suburban lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. “The vast, vast majority of New Yorkers – and I don’t just mean people in the city, outside of the city – use public transportation to get into the city,” he said, implying there has been outsized attention paid to drivers. Goldman also said he would have liked to have seen the program implemented sooner “to work out the kinks” and potentially at an even lower price point. Congestion pricing was meant to have started on June 30 before Hochul abruptly paused it on June 5.

Goldman acknowledged that there are those who will be burdened by the toll, and that officials must be willing to adjust, but asserted that it is necessary. “I think there’s no question that it’s good policy,” Goldman said. “It’s very difficult politics.” That political difficulty has been on display since Hochul announced that the tolling scheme would return on Jan. 5 at a reduced cost. Opponents of congestion pricing, who had hoped the pause would become permanent, were not won over by the lower fees. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is a top contender to challenge Hochul in 2026, has been particularly vocal. He and fellow Republican New York House members sent a letter to Trump last week to ask for his help in killing congestion pricing. 

Over the weekend, Lawler got into an argument on X with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie over a new ad that the representative released ripping into the tolling scheme. “So I hope this means day 1 you will bring back capital funds for the MTA,” Heastie wrote in a post aimed at Lawler.

“Maybe hold a hearing on the mismanagement and show us you guys (are) serious about fixing the problem and not just fleecing New Yorkers of their hard earned money,” Lawler responded, charging that the MTA doesn’t adequately manage the billions in funding it receives. The pair went back and forth for about 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon. After Heastie referred to Trump as “your president,” Lawler replied: “Hate to break it to you, he’s your President too. Might be a good idea to work with the Republicans for the betterment of New York!”

Goldman, while saying he was looking for avenues for bipartisan work with the incoming Republican-controlled federal government, cautioned against relying on the Trump government to provide money for New York City public transit. “The federal government is not going to be a panacea for the MTA, unless you change the name to the Trump Transportation Authority,” Goldman quipped. “It’s the same thing as public housing – as much as we try to get more capital money for (the New York City Housing Authority), it just meets objections from the Republican Party that does not want to help big cities, which are primarily Democratic.”

Despite agreeing with Goldman on finding ways to work with Republicans, Torres also echoed concerns that the Trump administration may hurt New York. “The highest priority is survival,” Torres said in his first remarks of the breakfast, before discussing the state and local tax deduction and the Child Tax Credit.