Northeast
Subway mayhem spurs Cuomo to urge halt to new NYC driving tax
As New York’s “congestion pricing” inner-city tolling plan takes effect Sunday, one of its major proponents is questioning whether the timing is right for a policy meant to drive people to an increasingly dangerous mass transit system.
Through a spokesman, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed that he still backs the system that now tolls drivers $9 to cross below Central Park or enter Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn and New Jersey – but questioned whether now is best to implement it.
“Governor Cuomo believes congestion pricing is ultimately the right policy, which is why he fought and succeeded in passing it after more than a decade of failed attempts,” longtime spokesman Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital on Friday.
Azzopardi said that Cuomo’s original plan, which found agreement from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, was based on a “safe and reliable subway system” and a thriving city core. Prior Mayor Michael Bloomberg had proposed a similar plan in 2007, but it died in Albany.
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“[G]iven the obvious lack of confidence the public currently has in the subway system – combined with the tenuous state of New York City post-COVID, [Cuomo] called for a data-driven study on the impact of congestion pricing to inform the timing of such a major policy change and to ensure New York was not creating additional obstacles to its comeback.”
Cuomo previously wrote in a March op-ed that congestion pricing’s success hinges on confidence in the MTA and mass transit, which he noted has also statistically still not recovered from COVID levels.
He noted how congestion pricing is meant to “incentivize” subway use – but that that is hard to do when people are getting brutally attacked underground – and noted that it was his father, Gov. Mario Cuomo, who first beefed-up police presence after the “bad old days.”
At the time of a prior column in the Post, Cuomo cited a conductor with 24 years of service to the MTA vowing never to go back underground after he was slashed in the neck and required 34 stitches while operating an A train in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
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MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and Gov. Hochul (Getty)
More recently, an Ocean County, N.J., woman was burned alive in Coney Island, and there have been several near-fatal cases of people being randomly shoved in front of trains, occurring from Morningside Heights to TriBeCa, since Christmas.
“It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City’s recovery,” Cuomo’s spokesman said Friday.
But Cuomo’s onetime deputy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, appeared full-steam-ahead in enacting the policy, which is intended to drive commuters and residents to consider mass transit to head to work or play in Midtown.
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In a recent statement lauding her current plan, Hochul’s office said the reduction of the congestion toll from its original $15 will save drivers $1,500 per year, and that commuters will see “new and improved subway services.”
“By getting congestion pricing underway and fully supporting the MTA capital plan, we’ll unclog our streets, reduce pollution and deliver better public transit for millions of New Yorkers,” Hochul said.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, who oversees the state-run metro subway, bus and rail network, said that Hochul is “stepping up” for people who want cleaner air, safer streets and less gridlock.
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The FDR Drive on Manhattan’s East Side; one of few roadways exempt from tolling. (Getty)
He also noted that upgrades have already taken place on the 7 subway from Times Square to Flushing, Queens, and the L train from Union Square to Canarsie.
However, Cuomo’s camp maintains that it was he who envisioned and oversaw the upgrades to New York’s transit network without the added tolls in effect – and ripped Hochul and Lieber for claiming that he had gotten cold feet.
When the New York Post asked Hochul for comment on Cuomo suggesting she “hit the brakes” on congestion pricing, the governor directed comment to a Lieber spokesman, who blasted Cuomo for “flip-flopping.”
“What would really harm New York’s continuing recovery is starving subways of a desperately needed source of funding after decades of underinvestment,” the MTA’s Aaron Donovan said.
“The $15 fee was passed by the MTA under Hochul’s watch, but please gaslight away,” Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. “New Yorkers aren’t stupid.”
Cuomo previously told WNYW that people have the option to work from home, which they didn’t have when he first pushed the plan in 2019 – and that if he were a commuter, he would likely balk at the idea of added costs at a time of “high crime and homelessness.”
Cuomo’s camp also said that Hochul likes to take credit for the achievements of his three-term administration that presaged the new tolls.
“The difference here is that Governor Cuomo built the [new Amtrak/MetroNorth] Moynihan Train Hall and the Second Avenue Subway [extension to East Harlem], as well as fixed the L train and did the hard work to get [Grand Central’s] East Side Access and the LIRR Third-Track done. All Hochul wanted to do was cut the ribbons,” Azzopardi said.
Cuomo’s calls for a pause were joined by several New York Republicans, yet the former governor and potential 2025 mayoral candidate remains supportive of congestion pricing, while the GOP wants it nixed entirely.
Commuters from New Jersey must still pay Port Authority tolls to cross the Hudson River, and outer-borough commuters the same via the East River – albeit with a slight credit toward their “congestion” fee.
Drivers who remain on the FDR Drive or Joe DiMaggio West Side Highway will not be charged unless they turn onto surface streets.
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New Hampshire
Man From Concord Arrested On Drug Sale, Subsequent Possession Charges: Concord Police Log
Michael L. Poissant Jr., born in 1965, of Franklin, was arrested at 10:03 p.m. on June 3 on a driving after revocation or suspension-subsequent charge and a stop signs; yield signs violation after an incident or investigation on Merchants Way.
Alison Marie Lombard, born in 1978, of Concord, was arrested at 7:48 p.m. on June 2 on a criminal mischief charge and a bench warrant after an incident or investigation on Loudon Road.
Cathy J. Delisle, born in 1964, of Concord, was arrested at 8 a.m. on June 2 on criminal mischief, simple assault, and domestic violence-simple assault charges after an incident or investigation on Snow Pond Road.
Asende Alinoti, born in 1988, of Concord, was arrested at 9:09 p.m. on May 29 on criminal trespass and breach of bail charges after an incident or investigation at the Morning Star Condominiums on Loudon Road.
Do you have a news tip? Email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 227 communities and neighborhoods — and expanding every day. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.
3-minute read
See video of tall ships in Sandy Hook Bay for America’s 250th birthday
Tall ships anchor in Sandy Hook Bay before joining the Parade of Ships July 4 on the Hudson River in NYC, celebrating America’s 250th birthday.
As the nation celebrates its 250 anniversary, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill welcomed tall ships that will enter New York Harbor for an International Parade of Sail. This fleet of giant sailboats will sail around New York this weekend, including a pass by to salute the Statue of Liberty.
But before departing for New York, Sherrill greated the ships and their captains at Sandy Hook.
As temperatures approached 100 degrees, Sherrill was joined in admiring the flotialla by her husband, Jason Hedberg; Rep. Frank Pallone, the Democrat who represents the 9th Congressional District; and ship captains from 20 different countries.
Sherrill summons New Jersey’s role in the Revolution
Sherrill noted that Sandy Hook played a storied role in America’s fight for independence as it was the spot where then General George Washington’s army drove the British back for the final time.
“It’s this harbor that has been the gateway to America ever since. A beacon for freedom, welcoming immigrants, a channel for commerce, building a strong middle class, a stronghold for the military, defending our nation,” she said. “New Jersey has been the backdrop for it all.
The governor took pride in highlighted the cultural and technological advances that have taken place in the Garden State from the laser to the lightbulb and noted that the eyes of the world are on the state more than ever as the World Cup takes place in East Rutherford.
Sherrill a Navy veteran herself was in awe of the tall ships that came from “places as far away as Italy and India, Peru and Poland, Spain and Sweden” representing an “enduring symbol of friendship and cooperation.”
“It’s a joy to be here to celebrate with all of our allies and friends,” she said. “This week, millions will turn out again for another massive vote parade, united by a shared love of country, pride in our history and hope for the future.”
What did Rep. Frank Pallone say?
Pallone said that viewing the vessels reminded him of the voyages of discovery from centuries ago and how difficult it had to be especially without the navigational tools modern vessels use.
The congressman said that when speaking to the captain of a ship from India he found out they took more than 20 days to get here and that is a sign of the respect America’s allies and friends have for this event.
This isn’t the first time the region has played host to such a spectacle. There were similar sailing parades for the bicentennial in 1976, the centennial for the Statue of Liberty in 1986 and the millennium celebration in 2000.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
A bird that most people never see outside of pictures was found under a car in Pennsylvania, animal experts said.
The Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Lancaster County said in a Facebook post on Friday that an albino cardinal was found under a car.
The nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Washington Borough said it received a call from a woman who found a white bird under her car that appeared to be injured. The bird was also trying to drink water from beneath the vehicle. The post said that due to the dangerous heat wave, it has been admitting any distressed or unusually behaving animals for examinations.
When Raven Ridge Wildlife Center’s team arrived at the scene, they said they were “instantly taken aback.”
“Our eyes widened and our jaws dropped as we realized we were witnessing a rare occurrence that most people never see outside of pictures. This was a fledgling albino cardinal,” the Facebook post said.
The chances of seeing an albino cardinal are “extremely low,” the center said, adding that albino cardinals are considered one of the rarest bird sightings. Estimates suggest that seeing any cardinal displaying white feathers is about 1 in 30,000, the center said.
“True albino cardinals, which lack all pigmentation, are even rarer,” the center said.
What is the albino cardinal?
The albino cardinal’s rarity is due to a genetic mutation that causes a lack of melanin, resulting in its distinctive white plumage and reddish-pink eyes, officials said.
According to the center’s Facebook post, albino cardinals face “significant” survival challenges due to their “conspicuous coloration,” which makes it difficult to evade predators. The animal’s lack of melanin can also lead to poor vision.
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center rescued the bird, which will remain in captivity because its chances of surviving in the wild are “slim.”
“What an amazing opportunity for our team to see and care for this beautiful Cardinal,” the Facebook post concluded with.
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