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Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday defended road congestion pricing, saying most motorists would not be affected as only the "very wealthy" could afford to travel to Manhattan.
"Residents of the outer borough do not drive their car to Manhattan. That's not how they come on the scene, "Cuomo told the Association for a Better New York.
"I am a boy of the queen. Only very rich people can drive to Manhattan. You have to pay the toll. You have to pay a parking lot. . . it's probably close to 100 dollars a day.
Cuomo said only a fraction of commuters from the periphery of the district – 2% or less – arrive by car from Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
He then told reporters that "it's a luxury" to go to the city center.
But MP David Weprin, who represents Queens' middle-class sections, said he was inundated with calls from his constituents alarmed by the congestion plan.
"A lot of people, they have no choice but to drive," said Weprin.
Cuomo praised the well-heeled audience when he said the congestion plan "will benefit Manhattan's real estate interests when we have a better transportation system."
The Governor and Legislature approved the controversial congestion charge, generating $ 15 billion for MTA's 2020-2024 capital plan.
Cuomo said there would likely be compensation for motorists who are already paying a bridge and tunnel toll to get to Manhattan's business districts.
But he denied accusations that Albany would have been slow to fix the record after the 2020 elections – as the Post first reported – saying it would be "Machiavellian".
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