Dear John,

Today, New York takes a big step forward toward less traffic, cleaner air, and better and safer transit. 

A generation of straphangers, transportation advocates, and public servants have fought tirelessly for a solution to ease gridlock, lower emissions, and fund desperately needed subway improvements. As congestion pricing goes live, we have a chance to make that happen. 

What’s essential now is that the MTA, the Governor, and the Mayor deliver on the promises. The only way to bring doubters on board (and I know there are plenty of doubters, some of you among them) is to show real, concrete improvements. And to do it quickly and transparently. 

I’ve been proud to be part of the team pushing the effort forward, beginning way back in 2007 when the Bloomberg Administration launched the proposal, and continuing through 2019 when the State Legislature adopted it.  

Last year, when the Governor put the program on pause and jeopardized its implementation, I organized a legal coalition, including Riders Alliance, City Club, Center for the Independence of the Disabled, with legal experts from Emery Celli, Earthjustice, and Mobilization for Justice, spearheaded by Professor Michael Gerrard, to ensure that congestion pricing would go into effect as required by law, before Donald Trump becomes President, so our transit infrastructure can remain viable for generations to come. 

Now, we need to actually make it work. The MTA needs to move faster and more efficiently than it has in the past to install new subway elevators to make the system more accessible. Modern signals and new cars to make it more reliable. Platform barriers and station gates to make the subway safer – those can and must happen very quickly. 

We need to start seeing work on expansion projects (not just Second Avenue, but in the outer boroughs as well) that enable New Yorkers to imagine a future with more robust transit options.  

City Hall has a big opportunity, too, even if there is too little reason to believe Mayor Adams will take it. The ‘streetscape dividend’ of reduced traffic will make room for more busways like 14th Street. New infrastructure and rules to confront the rapid growth of mopeds and e-bikes. More pedestrian zones in crowded areas, along with the bollards and safety improvements to keep New Yorkers safe. These steps would help revive lagging retail, support small businesses, and bring a renewed energy to the streets and sidewalks of our city. 

And we need honest, transparent data on how congestion pricing is actually working: what the reductions in traffic really are, how much drivers are paying, whether the toll structure is working. No one loves paying a new toll, but it matters a lot when they can see whether it’s fairly applied, and where the money is going. So the MTA can’t hide the ball. They’ve got to provide honest data, be open to making tweaks if necessary, and prove to people that it’s really working. 

Today is a day to celebrate, but we can’t rest on our laurels. This is a big opportunity, and we must seize it. Just as I’ve been working hard to make sure congestion pricing goes into effect, I’ll be working even harder to make sure it actually works. 

If we get congestion pricing right – not just turning on the cameras but delivering on the promises – we can secure the future of our public transit system. We can take a big step forward toward a more thriving, healthy, and sustainable future for the whole metropolitan region. And we can show New Yorkers that government can actually work for them, on some of the most important things.  

Brad 

Office of the New York City Comptroller

Our mailing address is:
Office of New York City Comptroller Brad Lander
1 Centre Street
New York, NY 10007
United States

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