FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 21, 2023
New York, NY – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) led transportation and environmental advocates in a press conference outside the Lincoln Tunnel urging the immediate implementation of New York’s Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program, also known as “congestion pricing.”
The press conference follows the release of the Member’s letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg encouraging the USDOT to green-light congestion pricing, which has already been signed into law in New York, to meet an early-2024 deadline. The Members also penned a joint op-ed today expressing their support for the program in the New York Daily News, which can be read here.
Congressman Jerry Nadler said: "Today, I was proud to join Rep. Goldman and transportation advocates to witness the Lincoln Tunnel choked with traffic. The consequences of this congestion continue to negatively impact my constituents who live in the congestion zone, as well as low-income communities of color across New York City that have been historically forced into highway-adjacent neighborhoods that suffer from poor air quality, resulting in higher rates of asthma and respiratory illness. These communities and our city deserve better. That’s why we are thrilled that New York is on the verge of implementing a congestion pricing program to improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and provide much-needed funding to improve and expand our essential public transit system. However, we need the United States Department of Transportation to finish the job. That’s why we sent a letter to Secretary Buttigieg this morning calling for the Department of Transportation to reaffirm its commitment to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact without further delay and finally delivering congestion pricing for New York City.”
Congressman Dan Goldman said: “It is long past time that we implement congestion pricing in New York City to pave the way for vital improvements in our air quality, our safety, and public transportation system. Any New Yorker can tell you that car traffic on our streets has reached untenable levels, hindering the ability of our buses to operate efficiently and further harming the vulnerable communities who bear the brunt of the negative impacts of air pollution. I’m proud to join Representative Nadler in calling on the DOT to allow congestion pricing to take effect in New York City and build a greener, safer city for all of us.”
Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign said: "We are running out of time to meet our climate goals to stop catastrophic climate change. We need congestion pricing now. TSTC has been advocating for congestion pricing for most of the 30 years our organization has existed. The time has come. This is the right policy to support our region's efforts to: reduce emissions for millions in environmental justice communities; to improve the transit system that makes it all possible; and to make our streets better for all who use them be they in a car or a bus, if they are walking or riding a bike, whether they are a resident of New York or New Jersey or are visiting from around the world."
Betsy Plum, Executive Director of the Riders Alliance said: "Congestion pricing is the single largest source of funds to fix the busiest transit system in America. Thanks to Representatives Nadler and Goldman for standing up for millions of subway and bus riders who deserve fast, reliable and accessible service."
Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives said: “All New Yorkers bear the burden of traffic congestion — from longer bus rides to worse air quality to the pain of traffic violence. Congestion pricing will deliver faster commutes, better air, and reduced crashes. We need congestion pricing now and cannot afford to wait any longer. Thank you to Representatives Nadler and Goldman for championing congestion pricing,”
Andrew Albert, Chair of the NYC Transit Riders Council and MTA Board Member, said: “Our transit network is the region’s lifeblood – as critical as the air we breathe. However, that air is getting more polluted as more cars cram onto our roadways, something we’re particularly mindful of during Earth Week. Congestion Pricing will not only improve air quality and reduce traffic, it will provide critical funding for our vital transit infrastructure – crucial upgrades to signals, tracks and stations, including accessibility improvements – and help pay for expansion projects like Penn Access and the next phases of the Second Avenue Subway. It’s a win for transit riders, the environment, our economy and our entire region. Every day of delay costs money and increases pollution and congestion. We’re calling for the USDOT to release the letter of legal sufficiency and a Finding of No Significant Impact as expeditiously as possible so we can get the show on the road, and the cars off it.”
Hindy Schachter, Member of Families For Safe Streets said: "After London implemented congestion pricing, vehicular crashes dropped by 35%. Some of New York City’s most dangerous streets like Canal Street, Houston Street, Northern Boulevard, and Flatbush Avenue all process high traffic volumes that would directly be reduced by congestion pricing, making our streets across the city safer. We applaud Representatives Nadler and Goldman for their leadership in supporting this life-saving policy.”
Patrick McClellen, Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters said: “It’s been well over a decade since congestion pricing was first proposed in New York City, and as the regional population and commerce have grown during that time, so too has traffic and gridlock – which causes higher greenhouse gas emissions and worse air pollution throughout the Tri-State Area. The time has come for the state to turn plans into action–we must implement congestion pricing now."
The Member's letter to Secretary Buttigieg is below:
April 21, 2023
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg,
As representatives of New York State’s 10th & 12th Congressional Districts, representing Manhattan and Brooklyn, we extend our appreciation to the Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for their commendable work on New York’s Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program, also known as “congestion pricing.” As the representatives for the Central Business District, we recognize your steadfast support of this initiative, which will address the challenges of traffic congestion and air pollution in New York City, as an invaluable asset in our effort to expedite the implementation of congestion pricing. Therefore, we write to request that USDOT reaffirm its commitment to implementing congestion pricing in New York and issue the program a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) without further delay.
Recent data reveals that traffic congestion in Manhattan's CBD has reached critical levels, jeopardizing our communities' health, safety, and infrastructure viability. The average speed of vehicles in the area has decreased from 6.5 miles per hour in 2010 to 4.7 miles per hour in 2019. More than 2.9 million people (76% of commuters) entered the CBD by some form of public transit, while the remaining 910,000 (24% of commuters) traveled by car, taxi, van, or truck, which added 728,000 private vehicles to Manhattan’s streets. Approximately 89,000 (12%) of those vehicles entered the New Jersey district through the Holland Tunnel and Lincoln Tunnel. The other 88% – over 3 million private vehicles – entered the district from north of 60th Street (40%), Brooklyn (30%), and Queens (18%). This congestion, in total, is accountable for almost 25% of New York City's greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the city's worsening air quality.
As you know, New York City's subways and buses are the lifelines of the city's transportation system, providing affordable and efficient daily transportation for millions of riders. These systems have been underfunded for decades, resulting in delays, disruptions, and safety concerns. The revenue generated by congestion pricing will generate $15 billion annually in funding for necessary improvements and expansions to our city’s public transit system, ensuring that it remains a dependable and affordable option for commuters.
We contend that congestion pricing is the requisite solution to New York City’s growing traffic. By bringing congestion pricing to fruition, we aspire to lead the nation as the trailblazer of this contemporary and modern approach to remedying traffic, improving air quality, and funding public transit. Congestion pricing has been successfully implemented in major cities around the world. In London, traffic congestion in the city center declined by 30% after congestion pricing was implemented, and public transportation usage increased by 30%.
New York aims to use congestion pricing to establish a virtuous cycle: tackle congestion, reduce tailpipe emissions, fund major transit investments, and ultimately, increase transit ridership while also creating a new source of funding to improve the CBD's streetscape, incorporating new bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and public spaces, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for our constituents.
We acknowledge that there may be political challenges to implementing congestion pricing in New York City. However, as the sole representatives of those who live in the Central Business District and bear the brunt of the congestion and environmental impacts, we firmly believe that the program’s environmental assessment of congestion pricing was thorough and comprehensive. The pressing challenges of traffic congestion and air pollution in Manhattan's CBD require immediate action, and congestion pricing offers a solution to these problems.
We strongly encourage USDOT to stay the course in ensuring the implementation of congestion pricing can meet an early-2024 deadline. The bottom line is this: New York is doing the work to fight the climate crisis, advance transit equity, and better serve disadvantaged populations. If the goal is to build back better, New York must be allowed to set the standard for tolling vehicle trips into urbanized metro centers that already have too much traffic and pollution. We appreciate your commitment and support towards this program and look forward to collaborating with you to materialize it.
Sincerely,
Jerry Nadler Daniel Goldman
Member of Congress Member of Congress
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Jerrold Nadler has served in Congress since 1992. He represents New York's 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan.
