Former congressman Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represented the 19th Congressional District, is being considered to head the federal agency in charge of mass transit.
A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration supervises transit systems across the country and allocates nearly $20 billion annually in grant funding.
Molinaro has been in talks with officials from the Donald Trump administration about taking over leadership of the FTA, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Molinaro has spent years in politics, beginning at 18 when he was elected as a trustee in the village of Tivoli, Dutchess County.
He later served in the state assembly before winning three terms as Dutchess County executive.
In 2018, he ran for governor but was defeated by Andrew Cuomo.
Most recently, Molinaro served a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives before losing his re-election bid last year.
Molinaro is well known for opposing congestion pricing in NYC, and while the White House has not formally announced his appointment as the head of the FTA, this decision could lead to the reversal of congestion pricing altogether.
Under the current congestion pricing system, which officially took effect on Jan. 5, toll rates vary based on the time of day and vehicle type.
Most drivers using an E-ZPass pay $9 during peak weekday hours, while motorcycles, trucks and for-hire vehicles have separate rates.
“There is a clear path to undoing the State’s cash grab,” Molinaro said on X. “The MTA is in desperate need of reform, transparency & accountability. Hardworking NYers & New Jerseyans aren’t an ATM for this bloated bureaucracy. Safety, accountability, accessibility & efficiency first!”
Following years of debate and legal battles, the plan overcame another legal hurdle just days before its launch when federal Judge Leo Gordon of New Jersey ruled it could proceed.
Then President-elect Donald Trump vowed to overturn the plan once in office and Rep. Mike Lawler proposed cutting federal funding for the MTA if the toll remained in place.
With support from President Trump and Republican lawmakers, efforts to overturn the toll have already gained momentum.
While the system remains in place for now, its long-term fate is unclear as the current Trump Administration prepares to act to benefit New Yorkers.
