OP-ED

Congestion Pricing is a Breath of Fresh Air

By Samara Karasyk

For years, Hudson Square has faced a daily ritual that residents and businesses know all too well. Starting around 3 PM, half of our neighborhood’s streets grind to a halt as vehicles queue for their turn to enter New Jersey through the Holland Tunnel. Congestion in our neighborhood has historically been among the worst in the city, adding to the estimated 117 hours, according to MTA data, that an average NYC driver spends sitting in gridlock each year. People routinely tell business owners in our district that they avoid coming into our neighborhood during peak hours because they don’t feel comfortable crossing the street through the mass off cars and trucks.

But, something remarkable is happening in our community since congestion pricing started. It is admittedly early days, but our business owners report noticeably reduced traffic heading toward the Holland Tunnel, making simple tasks like hotel doormen hailing taxis for guests significantly easier. In the first week of congestion pricing, traffic declined 11% compared to similar weeks in previous years. But, like the weather, traffic fluctuates constantly and it was back closer to normal last week before the holiday weekend.  

Any reduction in traffic means more than just saved time – it’s about creating a safer, more livable neighborhood. For many years, our district has hired crossing guards to help people safely cross the street and keep crowded intersections clear. With fewer vehicles clogging our roads, our guards can more easily maintain safe conditions for everyone.

Perhaps one of the most exciting potential positives from congestion pricing would come from making Hudson Square into a more walkable destination. Since we are well served by public transit, with less traffic dominating our streets, people are more likely to wander the district, discovering our neighborhood’s vibrant array of restaurants, cultural institutions, and public art. A more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere is crucial for our local businesses, which thrive when people can easily and safely access their establishments.

We also know that along with walkable streets, having more public, open spaces has a real impact on people’s physical and mental health. That is why we created pocket parks right at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. Originally viewed with some skepticism, these green oases are now popular destinations for local workers and residents alike. 

In 2022, we completed an ambitious project to plant or retrofit more than 500 trees throughout the neighborhood. These trees now offset more than 90,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually (the equivalent of roughly 80,000 car trips through the Holland Tunnel), help clean our air, and make our streets cooler. Congestion pricing complements these initiatives, helping us build a greener, more sustainable community where people can breathe and thrive.

Critics of congestion pricing often focus on the cost of the toll, but we must also consider the hidden costs that come with traffic congestion. One hotel owner has told me that he frequently tells guests arriving during peak hours to simply get out of the taxi and walk – sometimes as much as a mile, while pulling luggage – because traffic is moving so slowly. What sort of message does that send to potential visitors from around the world about the state of New York City?    

While it’s still early days, the initial signs of what is happening in Hudson Square demonstrate that smart urban policies can create immediate, tangible benefits for communities. I’m optimistic that congestion pricing will continue to help us build a more vibrant city – one where people, not traffic jams, take center stage.

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Samara Karasyk is president and CEO of the Hudson Square Business Improvement District. Originally printed in Crains NY – reprinted with permission 

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What’s the Future of Congestion Pricing?

By Roger Paradiso

“CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social on February 19.

“We are a nation of laws, not ruled by a king,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded in a statement. “The MTA has initiated legal proceedings in the Southern District of New York to preserve this critical program. We’ll see you in court.”

The gloves are off between Trump and Hochul regarding the congestion pricing plan that imposes a $9 toll on vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. The goal of the plan is to reduce traffic and raise funds to support transportation infrastructure improvements.

According to the Huffington Post, “Trump’s gloat was followed by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, posting on X an AI-generated image of Trump draped in ermine, wearing a crown. The official White House X account then posted a mock Time magazine cover with a crowned Trump and the headline, ‘LONG LIVE THE KING.’ ”

The self-appointed king was going after Hochul on the same day that he was throwing Ukrainian President Zelensky under the bus. When the congestion tax takes up the same page as the future of NATO and the free world, we are truly dancing in the dark.

We know that our “king” is always throwing bombs to distract people. This one has some meat to the populist New York crowd who love their cars and hate tolls. There are also Villagers who liked the congestion-free streets as well as those who are afraid it will hurt business.

”The MTA didn‘t mince words when it announced it was challenging the Trump administration in court. It touted the program as “highly successful” adding in a statement that it’s “mystifying that after four years and 4,000 pages of federally-supervised environmental review — and barely three months after giving final approval to the Congestion Relief Program — [the U.S. Department of Transportation] would seek to totally reverse course.”
– Newsweek

Hochul was quick to throw her own bomb. “New York hasn’t labored under a king in over 250 years,” she said at a news conference at Grand Central Terminal. “We sure as hell are not going to start now.”

Is that what it’s all about? Power? A throwdown between King and Queen? I take the Queen in this one.

In times of trouble, Villagers usually turn to their mayor for guidance. Mr. Mayor, you were once a supporter of the congestion tax. What do you think? In January, when asked about Trump potentially canceling congestion pricing, Eric Adams told the Associated Press, ”If the federal government has the authority to do something within their powers, then we can’t sit back and complain about it, because we do things within our powers.”

That was not a bomb, but a white flag of surrender. We feel for you Mayor Adams. Let us know how your court case is going. And let us know about your party affiliation. Are you a Democrat or a member of “The Kings Court?”

No doubt this congestion case will go to the Supreme Court or as some may call it, “The King’s Court.” More about this issue in April.

You must excuse me now. My car is parked at a meter and time is running out.