Chief Business Development Officer -Connectivity & Platforms, Comcast
Search every verified Samuel Schwartz interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2022 interview, Samuel Schwartz discussed congestion pricing in New York City, stating that it is "targeted to bring about $15 billion in capital funds to the MTA." He noted that legislation was passed in 2019 and that the Biden administration had provided guidance on the required environmental statement. Schwartz predicted that implementation was "likely two years away" due to the 2022 election year, adding that "elected officials get pretty shy of implementing something that means people will take money out of their pocket." He also suggested that tolls paid by drivers entering from New Jersey should be deducted from any congestion fee. Schwartz commented on post-pandemic transportation trends, saying that "work from home will be greater than it's ever been" and that fewer people would be riding the subway into the central business district. He discussed the potential for occupancy restrictions on cars entering Manhattan, similar to measures taken during the 1980 transit strike, after 9/11, and during Hurricane Sandy. Regarding autonomous vehicles, Schwartz said they "make sense" for freight on highways and for people with disabilities, but that they are "not going to replace the car very soon."
“Congestion pricing is targeted to bring about $15 billion in capital funds to the MTA. And we know the MTA can certainly use that. And it's not just the subways and buses. It's also Metro North and the Long Island Railroad.”
“Four years ago, the governor finally endorsed congestion pricing. In 2019 legislation was passed. And then we had a Republican administration that did not give any clue to the state as to the kind of environmental statement it needed. The Biden administration has done that.”
“The work could be done in 2021 to get this implemented at the beginning of 2022. However, the big however is what is 2022? It's an election year. The state next year. So I find elected officials get pretty shy of implementing something that means people will take money out of their pocket to pay the government. So I pr...”
“People coming in through the Lincoln Tunnel or through the Holland Tunnel from New Jersey are already paying a hefty fee. About $13 during the peak periods, $11 off peak. That should be deducted from the congestion fee. So let's say the congestion fee is $15. They should only have to pay $2.”
“Those fees have been collected since February of 2019, and those fees have been supporting the MTA.”
“One is, work from home will be greater than it's ever been. This was a game changer for a lot of businesses realizing they don't need to have their workers showing up every single day. So we're not going to see as many people riding the subway, going into the central business district.”
“The city does have some tools if the traffic numbers get too high. What we did during the 1980 transit strike and what we did during Hurricane Sandy and after 9/11 was occupancy restrictions on cars coming into the central business district. So back then, you needed two or more people to come into Manhattan.”
“Congestion pricing is targeted to bring about $15 billion in capital funds to the MTA. And we know the MTA can certainly use that. And it's not just the subways and buses. It's also Metro North and the Long Island Railroad.”
“The Brooklyn Bridge, when it opened in 1883, had a toll across. It was a penny for a pedestrian, it was 3 cents or 2 in a carriage. By the 1900s, those automobiles that came along, they would charge 10 cents. In 1911, Mayor Gaynor removed the tolls from the bridge.”
“There are a lot of good reasons for some autonomous vehicles, but it's not going to replace the car very soon. When it comes to trucks, freight, there is a shortage of truck drivers. It may make sense to have some autonomous vehicles on freeways, on the expressways.”
Gridlock Sam Schwartz is changing lanes. The former cab driver, onetime city traffic commissioner, and one of this country's ...
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