Rockland County Executive Ed Day has sharply criticized the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for its financial mismanagement, revealing that the agency has racked up over $5.1 billion in unpaid tolls and violations since 2021, including $1.4 billion in 2024 alone.
Day condemned the MTA’s failure to enforce existing toll collection and fare regulations while pushing ahead with a controversial congestion pricing plan that would place additional financial strain on commuters.
“Once again, the MTA has chosen to punish hardworking families instead of holding itself accountable for its own financial mismanagement,” Day said. “The MTA already loses an estimated $700 million annually to fare evasion, and now we learn they’ve let billions in tolls and violations go uncollected. Instead of addressing these failures, they’re looking to take even more money from New Yorkers through congestion pricing.”
Day argued that congestion pricing is less about reducing traffic and more about covering budget shortfalls caused by the agency’s inefficiencies.
“If the MTA had simply collected what was owed and ensured people actually paid their fair share, they wouldn’t need to dig deeper into the pockets of Rockland County commuters and working families who are just trying to make a living,” he said.
With inflation already driving up everyday costs, Day asserted that forcing New Yorkers to pay even more to enter Manhattan is an unacceptable burden.
“Enough is enough,” he declared. “The MTA needs to fix its own house before demanding more from the people who actually pay their fares and tolls. Rockland County residents—and all New Yorkers—deserve better, and I will continue to stand against this unjust congestion pricing plan.”