The New York League of Conservation Voters applauds Gov. Kathy Hochul for reinstating congestion pricing. Following her announcement, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state agency that will run the congestion pricing program, approved the revised plan by a 12-1 vote, and a few days later, the Federal Highway Administration and city and state transportation departments signed off so that it can begin in early January.
Hochul’s revised plan for cars entering Manhattan’s central business district (CBD), between 60th Street and Battery Park, calls for a reduced toll for most drivers from $15 to $9 per vehicle.
“This is a hard fought major victory for New Yorkers and for the entire region – decades in the making – and we are so grateful that Governor Hochul got it back on track,” said NYLCV President Julie Tighe, speaking at a press conference outside of the MTA Board vote.
Attending the press conference were several representatives from the Congestion Pricing Now coalition – of which NYLCV is a proud member – along with some of the program’s major political supporters including Rep. Jerrold Nadler, State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Assemblymember Tony Simone, and Borough President Antonio Reynoso.
“For years I’ve said that congestion pricing is the best — and only — solution to getting our transit system back on track,” said Representative Jerry Nadler. With [this] announcement, the MTA’s 2025-2029 capital plan is secured, allowing the MTA to advance work on the 2nd Avenue Subway extension, Penn Access, ADA accessibility upgrades, and more.”
The plan, first proposed by Mayor Mike Bloomberg in 2007 and finally approved as part of the state budget in 2019, had overcome many obstacles and was slated to start in August. But Hochul paused the plan on June 5, saying that she was concerned the $15 toll was too costly for middle-class commuters and feared the negative economic impact could hurt the city’s ongoing financial recovery from Covid.
“We never lost faith that it was the right policy and eventually its time would come,” NYLCV Policy Director Patrick McClellan told the New York Times after the governor’s announcement. “Right now, the most important thing is getting the program up and running.”
The city has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. A significant part of this plan involves cutting emissions in the transportation sector, because it accounts for the second biggest source of GGE at 28 percent.
“We need fewer cars on the road, less greenhouse gas emissions coming from our transportation sector, and less air pollution from tailpipes of cars idling in traffic choking our lungs,” Tighe said. “All this pollution is making the two million New Yorkers who live or work near a congested roadway sick, including children who develop asthma. This has to stop.”
Congestion pricing is expected to raise a total of $15 billion, which would be allocated for much-needed repairs and renovations for NYC’s subways. This would include renovating the subway’s aged tracks, cars and signals; adding elevators and ramps to make stations more accessible; installing platform barriers for safety; and installing fare gates and surveillance software to reduce fare evasion, which cost the MTA $285 million in 2022, The New York Times reported.
Some of the billions raised also would be used to upgrade the city’s bus system and metro commuter railroads.
In a New York Daily News op-ed, Tighe and Amy Chester, the Executive Director of Rebuild by Design, wrote about the imperative of congestion pricing for building up the transit system’s resilience in the face of increasing extreme weather.
“If New York hopes to be ready for the next storm, we need to make significant investments to modernize our transit system. We need raised steps and elevated street vents to prevent stormwater from entering the subway stations,” they wrote. “We need improved drainage and pumping, and sensitive equipment must be elevated so it can remain operational during emergencies. We need improved air ventilation and cooling in transit stops to mitigate the dangerous impacts of extreme heat.
Reducing unnecessary traffic and improving the entire MTA system is critical to achieving our climate goals AND to improving the quality of life for countless New Yorkers.
The expected start date for congestion pricing is now January 5.
“We will end the congested streets that put public safety and emergency response at risk while meeting our climate goals to fight the climate crisis. Our city cannot afford to delay any further,” Nadler added.
Peter Aronson, a volunteer writer at the New York League of Conservation Voters since September 2022, is a former journalist and retired attorney. He is the author of Mandalay Hawk’s Dilemma: The United States of Anthropocene, a novel for middle-grade readers about kids fighting global warming. Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, wrote: “A scathing work and an essential blueprint for youth battling climate change.” To read more about Peter, visit his website www.peteraronsonbooks.com or to purchase his book, click here.