November 12, 2024
Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor NYS State
Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Hochul,
We write today as a group of elected leaders and environmental, civic, transit, business, disability, and climate justice organizations who care deeply about the future of New York.
We are grateful to hear media reports that you plan to turn on New York’s congestion pricing program. The pause on congestion pricing harms New Yorkers, our environment, our economy, our infrastructure and the millions of working people who use public transportation every day. The need to turn congestion pricing on is even more urgent with the election of Donald Trump, a congestion pricing opponent. In the past, President-Elect Trump has delayed vital funding for transit projects in our region and cut Federal Transit Administration funding. Without immediate action on congestion pricing, New York stands to lose out on $16.5 billion in transit funding for essential projects across the subway, bus and commuter rail network and the traffic reductions and air quality benefits that New Yorkers deserve. We urge you to do everything you can to secure all local and state dollars for transit in the next two months.
Not advancing congestion pricing will result in disastrous consequences for transportation in the New York metropolitan region, threaten jobs, jeopardize a system that New Yorkers rely on for an affordable city, and raise major questions about the state’s commitment to its accessibility, environmental justice and climate goals.
Reducing emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for nearly one third of total greenhouse gas emissions in the state – is critical to fight climate change and improve health outcomes.
The state’s official plan for achieving the NY State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA) goals explicitly identifies congestion pricing as a key component of the strategy to meet the existential threat of climate change and addressing transportation emissions. Many of us supported this plan. The suspension of congestion pricing may violate the obligations the Legislature imposed on all state decision makers through the CLCPA.
We need a strategy to immediately reduce traffic and pollution and raise vital funds for public transit. The need is even more urgent now as we see unprecedented levels of traffic and an aging transit system. Even with congestion pricing, the MTA needs $68 billion for its next capital program, which will largely pay for system repair, maintenance, and upgrades.
Congestion pricing is a solution to make our city work better for everyone—less traffic, better public transit, and cleaner air benefits everybody.
We urge you to advance congestion pricing immediately. We do not have time for further delay.
Sincerely,
Regional Plan Association
New York League of Conservation Voters
Environmental Defense Fund
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Riders Alliance
Natural Resources Defense Council
Evergreen Action
Bike New York
StreetsPAC
Municipal Art Society
New York Building Congress
Sam Schwartz
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
American Institute of Architects (NY)
Open Plans
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
Move NY
Reinvent Albany
The City Club of New York
Transportation Alternatives
Environment New Jersey
Rise and Resist Elevator Action Group
The Climate Museum
Common Cause NY
Earth Justice
New York Public Interest Research Group
U.S Representative Daniel Goldman (10th District)
U.S Representative Jerry Nadler (12th District)
NY State Senator Andrew Gounardes (26th District)
NY State Senator Jessica Ramos (13th District)
Assemblymember Robert Carroll (44th Assembly District)
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein (74th Assembly District)
Assemblymember Emily Gallagher (50th Assembly District)
Assemblymember-Elect Micah Lasher (69th Assembly District)
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani (36th Assembly District)
Assemblymember Jo Ann Simon (52nd Assembly District)
Assemblymember Tony Simone (75th Assembly District)
Assemblymember-Elect Claire Valdez (37th Assembly District)
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander
Photo Credit (Top) : Clemens v. Vogelsang