De Blasio Presses Buttigieg On NYC Congestion Pricing

NEW YORK CITY — A political traffic jam over congestion pricing in Manhattan could clear up under President Joe Biden’s new transportation secretary.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week that congestion pricing needs to “aggressively” move forward — and he said as much to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“He heard me loud and clear, New York City's ready to go,” de Blasio said. “I think he's going to do a lot to help us.”

Congestion pricing for cars entering Manhattan below 61st Street has been in the works since 2019. Advocates billed it as a way to reduce traffic jams and raise up to $15 billion in revenue for MTA.

But plans to start in January this year hit a song under then-President Donald Trump’s administration, which set up a bureaucratic roadblock. Officials warned the delay could last until 2023.

De Blasio’s conversation with Buttigieg indicates the effort will rev up once more. He noted that Buttigieg, as former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, understands how to get things done on the local level.

The bottom line is MTA — which faces potential cutbacks amid coronavirus pandemic troubles — needs to be supported, de Blasio said.

“Let's speed up the process to bring congestion pricing into play so we can have additional revenue to protect mass transit for all New Yorkers,” de Blasio said.