800+ New Yorkers Joined Elected Leaders, TA, FSS, Advocates to Demand Gov. Hochul Reverse Cancellation of Congestion Pricing; Renamed Bryant Park Station ‘Congestion Kathy’s Inaccessible Station #343’
Lawmakers in Albany rejected Gov. Hochul’s last-ditch proposals last week that would have killed congestion pricing.
At least 343 subway stations remain inaccessible and noncompliant with ADA laws.
NEW YORK — Earlier tonight, hundreds of New Yorkers joined Comptroller Lander, Assemblymembers Carroll and Epstein, Transportation Alternatives, Families for Safe Streets, and other safe streets advocates at Gov. Hochul’s Midtown office to demand she reverse her 11th-hour decision to cancel congestion pricing’s planned June 30 start date — jeopardizing the decades-long campaign for much-needed transit improvements, cleaner air, less traffic, safer streets and faster buses.
The rally then marched from Governor Hochul’s office to the Bryant Park station, which was scheduled for an ADA accessibility upgrade with the congestion pricing fund – which will likely now be canceled. Advocates renamed the station Congestion Kathy’s Inaccessible Station #343 in reference to the 343 inaccessible stations in the MTA system.
Congestion pricing is about much more than just raising revenue for the MTA. Below are facts about the critical program as well as the voices of many New Yorkers who will be impacted by the governor’s decision.
Congestion pricing will reduce crashes, serious injuries, and traffic fatalities.
Community Board 5, representing Midtown Manhattan, has the highest rate of traffic fatalities in all of New York City.
Congestion pricing reduced fatal car crashes by 27% and all crashes by 35% in London — and crashes dropped both in and out of the zone, because fewer miles traveled across a region makes the entire region safer.
“In 2010 I was hit by an 18 wheeler semi truck that left me permanently blinded from the impact of the truck hitting my body while I was on my bike. I was really looking forward to congestion pricing happening, to prevent more traumatic injuries and deaths. I am deeply angered and feel the governor has betrayed us,” said Emilie Gossiaux, a member of Families for Safe Streets.
“I lost my beloved son who was killed by a car while crossing the street in the Lower East Side 2 years ago. He was a hard-working young man with a dream to buy us a home. At the very last minute, Gridlock Kathy Hochul is siding with super-rich suburban commuters over the millions of New Yorkers like my family and me, who have lived in Harlem for decades and rely on public transportation to get around,” said Agustina Cano, a member of Families for Safe Streets.
“The critical benefits of congestion pricing will extend far beyond the CBD. Fewer commuter vehicles on arterial highways like McGuinness will bring better air quality, safer streets, improved bike infrastructure to all 5 boroughs. Our children are depending on bold leadership today to build a safe and sustainable NYC, and congestion pricing must be part of that plan,” said Bronwyn Breitner, a parent and organizer with Make McGuinness Safe.
“I lost my son when he was horrifically killed by a turning truck in Queens while riding his bike at the age 14, and life has never been the same since. Congestion pricing is critical towards making New York City a less congested and safer city. Cars are clogging our air, injuring and killing pedestrians and bike riders, and trapping bus riders in constant traffic. I don’t want other families to have to go through what we are going through,” said Martha Valenzuela, a member of Families for Safe Streets.
“I was hit by a car while crossing the street when a car turned into the crosswalk, causing serious knee, leg and wrist injuries, as well as PTSD. Congestion pricing will make our streets safer for pedestrians, drivers, car passengers, cyclists, and bus riders, because fewer vehicle trips will mean fewer crashes. No one should have to live with the aftermath of a traumatizing car crash,” said Kate Brockwehl, a member of Families for Safe Streets.
“My husband and I were cycling together, crossing an intersection on the right of way, when a speeding tow truck turned into us. My husband, Carl Henry Nacht M.D. died three days later from his injuries. Less congestion means fewer lives lost to traffic violence,” said Mary Beth Kelly, a member and co-founder of Families for Safe Streets.
Congestion pricing will reduce air pollution and asthma rates.
With congestion pricing, there will be fewer cars on our streets, leading to fewer dangerous air particles and fewer children struggling to breathe.
Congestion pricing could reduce air pollution in the relief zone by 11% – critical when PM2.5 pollution from traffic contributes to more than 300 premature deaths each year in New York City.
“Stepping outside my office means stepping into a cloud of toxic air caused by the nearby Holland Tunnel and the gridlocked, idling cars trying to get in — aggravating the asthma I’ve had since childhood,” said Geoffrey Thomas, Brooklyn resident. “Instead of air we can breathe and relief from the gridlock on our streets, Governor Hochul’s short-sighted decision to cancel congestion pricing maintains a status quo that continues to harm all New Yorkers and especially those of us with limited lung capacity.”
"I grew up in an apartment in the Bronx right next to the entrance to the Henry Hudson bridge. Thousands of cars drive over that bridge, and thanks to all that traffic, the windows of our apartment were constantly covered with dirty black film. Unsurprisingly, like so many children, largely Black and brown children, my brother and I both developed asthma as toddlers,” said Lauren Phillips, a New Yorker, parent, and organizer with Kids Over Cars. Growing up next to too many cars — and the destructive particulate pollution they spew — sentenced us to a childhood full of asthma inhalers and special attention from the school nurse. And today, that same congestion that left me asthmatic is worse than ever. Now, when I push my baby’s stroller along Flatbush Avenue, another car-choked artery into Manhattan, I worry that soon it will be his turn to start to wheeze and cough.”
“In September 2019, my then 3-year-old son had a severe asthma attack that landed him in the hospital for four days. The window of his room, in the pediatric ICU, overlooked the intersection of First Ave. and 34 St. For the duration of our stay, we were treated to a front row view of the all-day gridlock and non-stop idling of vehicles that poisons New York City’s air,” said John Tomac, a parent and Brooklyn resident. “The scene below was a not-so-subtle reminder that the adults who run this city and state are more concerned with the feelings of drivers than the health and well-being of the children who live here. We support congestion pricing because it is the only policy to clear the streets of gridlock and the air of dangerous auto emissions so that kids like my son can breathe a little easier.”
“My family and I have been looking forward to congestion pricing ever since it was passed 5 years ago. We were looking forward to cleaner air and a safer streetscape for our kids,” said Brooklyn resident Nathaniel Bachelis. “Unfortunately, in the 5 years since it passed, one of our kids has developed asthma and we're only now beginning to see the complications as he's already missed school and birthday parties, plus we have to miss work for his doctor's appointments. And we're genuinely afraid for when the Canadian wildfire season picks up again. We feel totally hung out to dry by the governor and hope she reverses this decision.”
Congestion pricing will make New York City more accessible.
New Yorkers with disabilities make 30% fewer trips by car than those without – but less than a third of the city’s subway stations are accessible.
MTA station upgrades are at-risk without congestion pricing funding. At least 343 subway stations remain inaccessible and noncompliant with ADA laws. Elevators also make travel easier for everyone: parents with strollers, older New Yorkers, those traveling with luggage, or someone who is just feeling tired.
“Disabled In Action wants the MTA to have a steady source of income so that the 2022 agreement to make most subway stations accessible will become a reality. Governor Hochul: don't pull the funding for accessibility! We need elevators!” said Jean Ryan, President of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan NY.
“I have a 6 year old with a mobility disability. She's not always in a wheelchair, but she has had multiple surgeries and even when she's not in a wheelchair it can be hard to get up all the stairs at our train station in the South Bronx. Right now taking the train with her anywhere is totally off the table. Her physical therapist and other doctors aren't off accessible stations either. Either we have to take a car, several different buses, or we are limited to our neighborhood. Having elevators in the subway would be life changing!” said Seth Mills, a parent in New York City.
“My local station, Borough Hall, only has an elevator on the Manhattan-bound platform. I must choose between an extra transfer or carrying my daughter's stroller up 2 flights of stairs. Congestion pricing could fund an additional elevator, making trips much easier for families like mine,” said Justin Sherwood, a parent and Brooklyn resident.
“When the elevator went in at the Eastern Parkway Brooklyn Museum subway station, it changed my life! I regularly go there even though it’s not my closest stop or on the express line because I can manage the stroller and my two young kids. They love riding the subway and getting to go to different parts of the city and that is so much more possible with an accessible station!” said Dory Thrasher, a parent and Brooklyn resident.
"As a mother of three young children, I am infuriated by Governor Hochul's repeated attempts to cancel congestion pricing and planned elevators in subway stations. Without these accessibility improvements, going out of your own neighborhood, especially with kids in a stroller, is a nightmare. It turns medical appointments into obstacle courses and limits social interactions," said Carole Maisonneuve, a parent and Harlem resident.
"I generally prefer bus routes with stroller-specific seating, but they are few and far between (we're looking at you, Q60!) so when time actually matters, we use the subways that serve our area... well, sort of our area. I say that because we always have to walk to not our nearest subway station but a couple stops over so that we have access to a working elevator to reach the platform,” said Amparo Abel-Bey, a parent and Queens resident. “It is unfortunate that the lack of universal accessibility means that folks like myself who travel solo with a baby in a stroller often internalize the message that we don't matter to our public transit system – that we 'get what we get and don't get upset.' But I AM upset. For myself, for all users who need to use elevators to get where they are going and back! We matter! And I'm trying to lead by example, to show our next generation of public transit riders that the train, the bus, they're for EVERYONE."
"Governor Hochul has no idea what it's like to be a pedestrian or bike rider in New York City. As a daily commuter from Harlem into the future congestion pricing zone, without fail, I see drivers blocking intersections and leaving families with strollers and New Yorkers with disabilities unable to cross the street. The governor's decision maintains a dangerous status quo, putting everyone in danger, whether I'm riding a bike or walking with my children," said Erik Marzolf, a parent and Harlem resident.
Congestion pricing will make transportation faster and more reliable for everyone.
With fewer cars in the congestion relief zone, more space for pedestrians, and more reliable subway service, travel will be more reliable for everyone, regardless of if they’re traveling by train, bus, car, or on foot.
In London, congestion pricing reduced bus congestion by 50% and increased bus ridership by 40%.
Without congestion pricing, there will be 35,000 more cars entering the relief zone each day by 2045; if implemented, there will be 100,000 fewer.
“My partner has had to travel to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center daily for her cancer treatment. The trains are routinely slow, infrequent and crowded, but if we travel by car, traffic is abysmal. Congestion pricing would make it easier for us to get around, no matter how we travel, but Governor Hochul doesn’t think those issues are important. Nobody can make a decision like this while claiming to care about those of us who need and rely on transit,” said Alex Morano, Brooklyn resident and lifelong New Yorker.
"Holding my eleven year old daughter's hand in a death grip as we cross 9th avenue and 42nd Street every day, knowing that even though we clearly have the light, someone will more than likely believe that getting their four ton SUV back to Jersey is much more important than our lives, should NOT be the norm in NYC, but it very much is in Hell's Kitchen and beyond. For years, I stayed hopeful that congestion pricing could be the turning point needed to start to give Manhattan back to the pedestrians. But then along came Governor Hochul,” said Peter Shankman, a parent and Manhattan resident.
“In New York City, public transit nightmares have become one of those normal aspects of life. I’m constantly reminding myself that these long waits, re-routes, and missed connections aren’t normal or acceptable. We deserve better,” said Austin Celestin, Upper West Sider and graduate student. “Governor Hochul can no longer call herself a transit or climate governor — and I know who to blame next time my train is missing.”
Congestion pricing will fight climate change.
Transportation is responsible for more than a quarter of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions – and without the MTA, regional GHG would be 30% higher.
The congestion relief zone makes up six of the seven most polluted community boards in the city.
“I’m a high school student who takes the subway to school every day — and I know it can be so much better,” said Miles Vender-Wilson, Queens public high school student and TA Youth Activist Committee Co-Chair. “I also know we will never drive our way out of the climate crisis — and we need to take steps today, like congestion pricing, to fight for our planet. I’m expecting Governor Hochul to make decisions with future generations in mind, and implement congestion pricing without further delay or exemptions.”
“My generation’s future is on the line, and it’s time for Governor Hochul to start listening to her constituents instead of her megadonors,” said Miles Gorman (she/her), 17, on behalf of Fridays For Future NYC. “We need a Governor who supports climate action, not one who cuts program after program on behalf of polluters. As we demand that she sign the Climate Superfund Act, she must reverse her cowardly decision on congestion pricing to deliver the clearer streets, cleaner air, and well-funded public transportation that NYC deserves.”
“As New York City prepares to break more heat records, we need congestion pricing now. We need Governor Hochul to reverse her decision and implement congestion pricing as promised on June 30,” said Leslie Stevens, a member of the steering committee and the lead of the transportation committee at 350NYC. “How is Hochul going to improve the subways, and the climate, without the MTA plan and funding? The world is watching!”
Congestion pricing will improve transit for Staten Islanders.
One in seven Staten Island households has no access to a vehicle.
38% of Staten Islanders walk, bike, or take public transit to work.
Despite widespread reliance on public transit, the average bus and subway commuter on Staten Island spends more than an hour commuting each way.
“Every delayed local bus, every rickety ride on a slow and disintegrating train, every express bus stopped in gridlocked traffic is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of Staten Islanders who rely on public transit to get to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and places within their own borough. With her short-sighted decision, Governor Hochul has shown Staten Islanders that she doesn’t care how much time is lost from their lives, as long as it pleases a tiny minority of wealthy drivers,” said Paul Medvetsky, Great Kills resident.
Congestion pricing is good for small businesses and New York City’s economy.
Only 1% of shopping trips made in the congestion relief zone are done by car.
Traffic congestion costs New York City’s metro area $20 billion annually – nearly $1,595 per year per driver in the region. If this money weren't being wasted on traffic, more would be spent at small businesses.
“As a small business owner I know that congestion pricing would help so many businesses by reducing congestion on our roads and encouraging the use of public transportation and other modes of transport which are much more desirable for business owners than car choked streets. For the vast majority of us who actually do live in New York City, this would be a huge improvement. Congestion pricing has been implemented in many other major metropolitan areas throughout the world. It's time for New York City to step up and become a truly modern, pedestrian and business-friendly city,” said Dudley Stewart, co-owner of The Queensboro restaurant.
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