June 5, 2024 NYC Office of the Mayor
Kristine Johnson: More now on today's big announcement from Governor Hochul that she is pausing congestion pricing indefinitely. This comes just 25 days before tolling was set to begin.
Maurice DuBois: Joining us now live to talk more about this is Mayor Adams. Mayor Adams, good evening to you. Thanks for joining us. First of all.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Good to be here.
DuBois: Yes, thank you. We want to get your reaction, first of all, as well as the reaction to the governor's idea of funding the MTA by taxing businesses. We're talking about a billion dollars that congestion pricing was supposed to bring in. She's suggesting taxing businesses. Reaction to that?
Mayor Adams: I have been communicating with the governor in the last few days as we have been really doing what I've said for a long time. It's imperative to deal with the congestion. It's imperative to make sure businesses continue to thrive in the city. But we have to do it right. We were really concerned about balancing of this on the backs of working class people. I think there's a way to do it right, but we have to be thoughtful in doing so.
DuBois: How do you make up that money?
Mayor Adams: That is what the state must deliberate on and come to a determination. Many people thought the decision of congestion pricing was a decision that came out of City Hall. It was not. It was an initiative that was passed by the state, started with the former governor and made its way down here to New York City. They have to deal with the hole in the MTA and come up with how to do so. The city does not control the MTA. We say that over and over again. New Yorkers use the transit system, but we are creatures of Albany.
DuBois: I just want to be clear here. Do you support taxing businesses, as the governor is suggesting? Yes or no?
Mayor Adams: I support the state lawmakers that must make the determination of how to fund the MTA. That's what I support. These are not yes or no answers. I served in Albany. I support the lawmakers in Albany making the determination of how we fill that gap.
Johnson: Republican Congressman Anthony D'Esposito told Marcia Kramer today that this is purely political, that this is going to be back on the table after the election. What are your thoughts on that?
Mayor Adams: That's not what I got from the governor. My conversation with her throughout the week is her concern about not only the working class people, but also we were able to revitalize our economy. we have more jobs in the city's history. The city is starting to thrive. People thought it was going to take five years. We did it in two years. She wants to continue that success. I don't think this is a political ploy. It's about how do we continue to do the right things for the city.
Johnson: It does seem just a sudden about face. You have to see that, though, mayor. A lot of people are scratching their heads because just two weeks ago she was saying how vital congestion pricing was for the city.
Mayor Adams: What I try not to do in this business is to speculate. I take people at their words. In the conversation I had with the governor, I'm going to take her at her word on what she's doing and the reason for doing it.
DuBois: When it comes to traffic reduction, what are your ideas at this point?
Mayor Adams: There's a couple of things that we can do. One of the major problems we're having is with deliveries of large trucks. We should look at incentives for overnight deliveries. I think that we've never really explored on how do we get trucks off our roads and the process of doing so. The double parking, making sure that we properly don't have the double parking problem as I move throughout the city. Then incentivize our subway system. We have one of the best subway systems and bus systems in the entire globe. We need to utilize it better. I think bus lanes and bike lanes, some of the things that we've been doing, can really decrease the amount of vehicle traffic.
DuBois: A lot of people would say the opposite. They've narrowed the roads and created a lot more bottlenecks and so forth. It's tight out there.
Mayor Adams: New York City, 8.3 million people, 35 million opinions. Trust me, no matter what you do, there's going to be those who are going to say yay and nay. We have to find a middle ground on how we move a city this complex in the right direction. And we have been successful.
Johnson: The projects though, or all of the items that you just listed, are all projects that the MTA had in store to upgrade. Upgrade the subway systems. Upgrade the bike lanes. They were depending on the congestion pricing money for all of these projects. What happens now?
Mayor Adams: This is the job of Albany. New York City and all of the local counties, we are creatures of Albany. Albany will make the determination of how do we fund these projects and they will deliberate. As always, they will come with the right direction and move on. I don't want to get ahead of my colleagues in Albany. They have their job to do. I have my job down here in city government. As a former state senator, I know how challenging it is to find these dollars.
DuBois: We thought for sure you'd have some suggestions.
Mayor Adams: I gave you a few. I don't think you liked them, but I gave you a few of them. We have built out bike lanes. We have built out bus lanes. We have really coordinated to, as you saw today, we destroyed thousands of illegal dirt bikes and motorcycles and three wheelers. We have removed over 40,000 of them off our streets because they have been a havoc to our pedestrians. There's a lot of solutions here. Again, the issue of funding the MTA is a state issue. I look forward to them coming up with the right decision.
Johnson: All right, let's talk about President Biden's executive order. How is that going to limit immigration here in the city? Do you feel as though that this order will have an impact at all?
Mayor Adams: Every little bit helps. Many people believe that this issue has subsided. It is not true. We are still getting close to 5,000 migrants and asylum seekers in the city each month. Those are real numbers. We have received over 200,000 thus far, larger than some of the local cities across this country. What the president is doing, capping at 2,500 throughout a daily average and making a determination that people should seek asylum in place in the countries they're coming from, I think it's a contribution. The real answer is one, real immigration reform, and two, the right to work.
[Crosstalk.]
DuBois: …For months now, and it doesn't include any federal money. That can't be good.
Mayor Adams: I've called for New York City not picking up the over $4.6 billion we had to spend thus far. This should not be on the backs of local cities. That includes Chicago, Denver, and other local municipalities. This is a national problem, and the national government should pick up the price tag. We can turn this crisis into an opportunity if we give people the authorization to work. My colleagues outside the state are saying, Eric, we are willing to take some of the migrants and asylum seekers if they are allowed to work. We can't just have them sit around all day.
DuBois: Okay, mayor, we'll have to leave it right there. Mayor Adams, thanks for joining us.
Johnson: Thank you, mayor.
DuBois: Appreciate it.
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