MTA Chairman Janno Lieber took to the airwaves to defend City's congestion pricing from what he called “grievance politics” Tuesday, ahead of the second rush-hour under the controversial tolling plan,

New York City kicked off the first congestion pricing program in the US, part of an effort to reduce the number of vehicles in the world’s most traffic-clogged urban area while raising money for transit infrastructure.

The toll, known as congestion pricing, is meant to reduce traffic gridlock in densely packed Manhattan while also raising money to help fix the city’s ailing public transit infrastructure. It formally took effect Sunday.