NYC Comptroller Lander Celebrates Congestion Pricing Start

As congestion pricing commences in the Central Business District in Manhattan below 60th Street, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement: 

“Today, New York City takes a huge step forward toward less traffic, cleaner air, and better transit. 

“A generation of straphangers, advocates, and public servants fought tirelessly to make congestion pricing a reality. I’ve been honored to be part of that team, including organizing the litigation that helped end the pause and get the system started before Trump becomes President.   

“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 is to show real, concrete improvements, and to do it quickly and transparently.  

“We need to start seeing the 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 it safer. 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 an opportunity, too, though there is little reason to believe Eric Adams will take it: to use the ‘streestcape dividend’ that reduced traffic will bring to make room for more busways like 14th Street, new infrastructure and rules to confront the rapid growth of mopeds and e-bikes, and more pedestrian zones in crowded areas, along with the bollards and safety improvements to keep New Yorkers safe. Timely action can help revive 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 actually are, how much drivers are paying, whether the toll structure is working, where the money is going. The MTA can’t hide the ball. We’ve got to make the system work, and to show people that it really is. I’ll be working hard to make sure that happens. 

“Today is a day to celebrate, but we can’t rest on our laurels. This is a big opportunity, and we must seize it. 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, take a big step forward toward a thriving and sustainable future for the whole New York City metropolitan region, and show that government can actually work.” 

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