Massey Opposes Congestion Pricing, East River Tolls



Republican mayoral candidate Paul Massey opposes any form of congestion pricing as well as the imposition of tolls on the City’s East River bridges.  Speaking at a transportation-focused press conference he held just outside of City Hall, I asked Massey about congestion pricing and the prospect of adding tolls to the City’s East River bridges.  (East River crossings controlled by the MTA – the Triborough Bridge, the Midtown Tunnel and the Brooklyn Battery tunnel charge tolls, while City owned bridges do not.)  I also asked about an element glossed over in his short release outlining his transportation plans, that many of the roads he’s proposing construction on are state, not city, roads.

Massey said that he does not support congestion pricing nor East River crossing tolls.  His East River toll opposition seemed to be more about not increasing any taxes or fees, without any reference to whether such tolls would help ease traffic congestion, however.  On whether he’s had any contact with state officials, Governor Cuomo or anyone else in state government, concerning his broad proposal on road construction Massey offered his frequent characterization that “we have a mayor who hates the governor” and that such mayoral failure is thwarting effective city/state cooperation.  Massey asserts that as “a consensus builder” he will solve those city/state issues, but didn’t offer any direct answer about the state issues in his outline.

Video:

Here’s what Massey had to say: