New York’s troubled congestion pricing plan | New Civil Engineer

If we want cleaner, greener cities, we must prioritise public transport.

When I travel into New York City, like most commuters from my home state of New Jersey, I take the train. About 80% of New Jersey residents who commute into Manhattan daily do so via public transport. Overall, 1.6M workers commute into Manhattan each day during the working week, with over three quarters of them traveling on public transport.

But as with many cities, public transport in New York City is ageing, and in need of improvements. The subway system first opened in 1904, making it 120 years old. Some of the signal switches date back to the 1930s. For decades, underfunding left the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs the subway and other mass transit in New York City, to focus solely on maintaining service and not necessary upgrades.

One proposal to provide a steady stream of revenue is congestion pricing. The concept of congestion pricing was originated in 1952 by William Vickrey, an economist at Columbia University. He recommended that fares be increased in peak times and peak traffic areas and lowered in others.

Studies show congestion pricing will reduce the number of vehicles driving into Manhattan’s central business district by 17%

In 2007, mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a congestion pricing scheme for vehicles entering Manhattan but was unable to build enough support to implement it. However, in 2019, the New York State legislature finally approved a congestion pricing plan, which will become the first in North America.

Studies show congestion pricing will reduce the number of vehicles driving into Manhattan’s central business district by 17%, helping reduce greenhouse gases and pollution. The decrease in cars should also help keep the streets of Manhattan, which are frequently tied up in gridlock during rush hour, much easier to navigate.

Congestion pricing tolls are expected to generate approximately $1bn per year designated to the MTA. The MTA has already earmarked the money to replace old infrastructure, purchase new open gangway subway cars, purchase 250 new electric buses, extend the second avenue subway line, and perform accessibility improvements across the system, amongst other upgrades.

The start was delayed to 2024, while the MTA spent over $500M (£388M) building congestion pricing infrastructure, including 110 tolling gantries. However, on June 5, 2024, the month it was scheduled to start, the governor of New York State halted the plan indefinitely, depriving the city of decreased pollution, greenhouse gases, traffic and improvements to mass transit.

The governor’s last minute reversal appears to be for political purposes to avoid alienating car drivers, but that decision has been unpopular among business groups, commuters, and public transport users.

Other cities are waiting to see what happens in New York, but funding public transportation, reducing traffic and breathing clean air should be aspirations with wide support.

• Robert d’Onofrio is an ICE Fellow

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