As Congestion Pricing Passes, Suburban Naysayer on MTA Board Again Abuses His Placard

It’s another big Mack attack.

David Mack, the road-loving Nassau County representative on the MTA Board, reiterated his opposition on Monday to a reasonable toll on drivers to enter the most congested, transit-rich part of the city — and as he objected to the now-discounted toll, Mack’s new Buick was parked illegally in an Access-a-Ride spot with a Nassau County Police placard improperly on the dash.

Mack’s unsafe parking and misuse of a placard — he was not on “official” county police business as he voted “no” on the congestion toll — was not only an affront to those who favor civic order, but was also a danger to people with disabilities. Several times on Monday, as Mack’s car remained illegally parked, Access-a-Ride drivers were forced to pick up or drop off customers in the middle of Stone Street.

Fortunately for the MTA Board, Mack’s opinion did not carry the day; congestion pricing passed 12-1 and is now slated to go into effect on Jan. 5.

“Congestion pricing haters who decry MTA corruption should look no further than their favorite commissioner,” said Danny Pearlstein of Riders Alliance. “The call is coming from inside the house. Mack, who is blatantly corrupt, is also a menace to millions of riders and a threat to safety on public streets.

Mack’s comments against congestion pricing on Monday were rich with irony, arguing that suburbanites and outer-borough drivers aren’t really the problem with Manhattan traffic — it’s the people who park illegally (wait, did he really say that?!).

“We have no enforcement of parking or all of the other things that contribute to congestion,” he really did say as his $23,000 Buick was parked illegally outside.

It’s not the first time that Mack’s vehicular transgressions have raised the attention of transit lovers and supporters.

Earlier this year, amid an earlier debate over congestion pricing, Streetsblog revealed that Mack enjoys the rare perk of being able to drive over all MTA bridges and through all the agency’s tunnels for free — though the freeloader told Streetsblog he uses the all-you-can-drive E-Z Pass to inspect the facilities and that his “no” vote on congestion pricing had nothing to do with how much all his driving would cost him as he drives daily from his Long Island home to his office in New Jersey.

And in 2022, we caught Mack’s car — then a fancy Lexus with a temporary plate — illegally parked in an MTA Police spot near the agency’s lower Broadway headquarters.

So in other words, he’s not only a scofflaw, but he apparently buys a new car every two years.