The Cost of Killing Congestion Pricing
David R. Jones, La Nueva Mayoria / The New Majority
As a long-time transit advocate and member of the MTA Board, I was surprised and disappointed with Governor Hochul’s decision to temporarily pause congestion pricing.
The Governor based her decision on the economic pain congestion pricing would inflict on working residents who continue to struggle with the rising cost of living. I would argue, however, that her decision to halt the program’s implementation goes against the economic interests of the very own people she’s trying to protect because it imperils the future of the city’s public transportation system, which is a lifeline for essential workers across the New York City’s service sector, most of them working-class Black and brown city residents.
But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s how Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres described the impact delaying congestion pricing will have on his constituents: "Perpetuating the disinvestment from public transit will have a disproportionately destructive impact on the lowest income communities of color, who disproportionately depend on public transit for their livelihood.”
Congestion pricing, which was approved by New York State lawmakers in 2019, is designed to discourage the use of cars in one of the world’s most traffic-clogged urban centers, reduce dangerous carbon emissions and remove some 143,000 vehicles from midtown Manhattan.
In a city with the largest public transportation system in the world, it seems only fair to impose a surcharge to those people who choose to use their cars, instead of the extensive network of subways, trains, and buses, to enter the most congested area of our city. This is especially true when the revenue generated by these tolls would go towards improvements that will benefit the vast majority of New Yorkers who rely on public transportation to get around.
It is estimated that the toll charged to drivers entering the Central Business District (CBD) would provide a dedicated revenue stream of $1 billion a year to fund urgently needed improvements to the city’s aging public transit system. Without congestion pricing, the city will not be able to improve accessibility in subway stations, modernize the signal systems to improve safety and reliability, add hundreds of new electric buses, replace old subway cars, and expand the Second Ave subway to East Harlem. These are all critical projects that our city desperately needs to improve quality of life and keep our economy growing.
Critics of congestion pricing argue that it would unfairly impact the poor and low-wage essential workers. A study by my organization, the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), found the impact on poor and low-income people is not as severe as naysayers suggest. The study showed 57 percent of outer-borough residents depend on MTA commuter bus and rail service, and would directly benefit from system repairs and upgrades. And under the congestion pricing program, the MTA is offering drivers making less than $50,000 zone discounts.
Moreover, the CSS study found only four percent of outer-borough workers (about 128,000 people) would pay congestion fees as part of their daily commute, and only two percent of those workers living in poverty (about 5,000 people) would be asked to pay congestion fees as part of their daily commute.
Other critics question the effectiveness of congestion pricing in reducing traffic gridlock and improving air quality. There is ample evidence overseas that suggests it does work. London, Singapore, and Stockholm have implemented congestion pricing, which has shown to encourage carpooling, use of public transportation and traveling at off-peak times. It also resulted in shorter travel times, improved air quality and better traffic, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation study.
There have also been calls for the State Legislature to come back to session this year to find alternative sources of funding to make up for the loss of congestion pricing revenue. Congestion pricing is also the subject of several lawsuits.
It’s hard to predict what will happen in light of the potential legal challenges and prospect of legislative action. What I do know is that doing nothing to address the MTA’s budget shortcomings to maintain and improve the city’s public transit system will be a massive mistake. Let’s hope our elected officials soon find a plan to put us back on the right track.
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