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New York legislators called for the governor-appointed chairman of New York City’s transit system to be fired amid accusations he downplayed a rash of subway crime to praise new Manhattan tolls aimed at driving commuters onto the subway .
In comments on a Bloomberg podcast, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber argued as much crime in the MTA has declined and that recent viral incidents give the impression of a system-wide security crisis.
“The overall statistics are positive. Last year we had 12.5% less crime than in 2019,” he said.
“But there’s no question that some of these high-profile incidents — horrific attacks — have gone to people’s heads and made the whole system feel less safe.”
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Senator Steve Rhoads, at the podium, and members of the New York State Senate are calling for the impeachment of MTA President Janno Lieber. (Official New York Senate GOP photo)
Representative Michael Lawler, RN.Y., shared a clip of Lieber ceremonially unveiled one of the new “Congestion Pricing” setups near Lincoln Center and said the agency “needs an enema; starting with Janno Lieber.”
“Imagine being an a-hole for celebrating ripping New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege of driving to work,” Lawler wrote. adding that Hochul “must be defeated in 2026”.
Lieber tore into Lawler in response, telling MSNBC that the Rockland County lawmaker was engaging in “grievance politics.”
Lieber claimed that a plurality of Lawler’s constituents, in the bedroom communities 30 miles north of the city, already rely on public transportation, and that only “one percent” make the daily commute through Palisades to the area of ” price congestion”.
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MTA President Janno Lieber and New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Getty)
New York’s new $9 toll to enter anywhere in Manhattan below Central Park has enraged commuters as well as residents within its boundaries.
Commuters from Long Island encountered bottlenecks trying to access the last unaffected entrance to Manhattan: the upper level of the Queensboro Bridge.
The departure of a luxury East Side building also inadvertently forced residents to pass through a toll gate, even if they try to go into the city; away from the area, while the outer boroughs braced for a deluge of suburbanites looking for parking to avoid the toll.
New York Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, blasted Lieber:
“Janno: get your head out of your piles of stats, get out from behind your computer and walk a mile in your drivers’ shoes before you ignore, dismiss and insult them,” Lanza said.
“The people of this state and city deserve the truth and real solutions, not eggheads trying to convince themselves they’re doing a good job.”
Sen. Bill Weber of Valley Cottage added, “Albany Democrats say the price of congestion is to reduce traffic congestion, but at what cost? It punishes ordinary people: working parents, firefighters, seniors who going to doctor’s appointments and those already struggling to make ends meet.”
“For them, this is not just a toll, it’s another obstacle in their day-to-day life. Tell me, how is this progressive?” he asked
Sen. Steve Rhoads of Nassau previously said the MTA’s acronym stands for “Money Thrown Away” and said this week that his constituents who rely on trains like the LIRR have grown distrustful of the agency.
“(Lieber) has no idea what it’s like to be a working-class New Yorker,” Rhoads said. “While accessibility and security are big concerns for real people, they’re abstract concepts to him.”
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, Gov. Kathleen Hochul and the new toll booths on 5th Ave. ((Luiz C Ribeiro/Gardiner Anderson/Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images.)
Previously, Lieber was an executive at Silverstein Properties — most recently overseeing a World Trade Center project — a transportation adviser to President Bill Clinton and Mayor Ed Koch, and a reporter for the New Republic.
He was also the MTA’s capital development officer under Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo, who still strongly supports the congestion pricing plan, recently told Fox News Digital through a spokesperson that he nevertheless has reservations about whether now is the right time to activate the tolls, given the lack of confidence in subway safety and changes in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study that predicts its consequences based on facts, not policy, it could do more harm than good to the city’s recovery. New York City,” Cuomo’s spokesman said. Rich Azzopardi said last week.
State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Suffolk, called the video of the unveiling of Lieber’s Broadway poster “a despicable display of glee and greed” and called for a financial review board to examine the agency’s books traffic
In response to the outpouring of calls for Lieber’s ouster, MTA Policy and External Relations Chief John J. McCarthy defended the transit chief.
“Under President Lieber’s leadership, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals, and delivered record on-time performance for its constituents on Long Island and the Hudson Valley while providing the most reliable subway service in a dozen years,” McCarthy said.
“But apparently none of this stops out-of-touch politicians from blabbing.”
