Open Plans Releases List of Nine Policies That Will Reduce Driving—But Aren’t as Effective as Congestion Pricing
New York— After Governor Kathy Hochul’s 11th-hour delay of congestion pricing and ahead of what would have been the first day of its implementation, Open Plans today released a list of nine measures to reduce driving private vehicles in New York City—measures that, while beneficial, show that congestion pricing remains the most effective way to fix our car-clogged streets, improve air quality, and promote the functioning and use of public transit infrastructure.
As we experience increasingly common heat waves, heightened air pollution, and traffic deaths, policymakers must take steps to reduce the number of vehicles in New York City. There are measures other than congestion pricing that can help to accomplish this goal, but none are as effective or would have as immediate an impact on making our streets safer and reducing pollution. Regardless of congestion pricing’s fate, New York City should also employ these strategies for a safer and healthier future, but the program is an essential piece of the puzzle.
Congestion pricing—charging a fee to anyone who drives into the most congested parts of the city, known as the Central Business District (CBD)—would reduce driving by about 17% by inspiring some drivers to seek cheaper alternatives. Congestion pricing has the dual, complementary benefits of funding, and in turn improving, public transportation to further incentivize less driving. New York has been working toward implementing congestion pricing for more than five years. The equipment is installed and the switch is ready to flip on June 30 to immediately enjoy the benefits of the program, which would have the added benefit of making other pro-transit policies even more effective.
“Congestion pricing gives New Yorkers what they deserve: a green, pro-transit, and walkable city; there simply is no substitute for it,” said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans. “Hochul’s craven, ham-handed flip-flop on congestion pricing maintains a status quo that clogs our streets, pollutes our city and leaves us without the resources we need for functioning public transit infrastructure—and without a sufficient replacement. While it’s crystal clear that New York needs to use all tools at our disposal to improve our environment, fund public transit, and reduce driving, an approach that doesn’t include congestion pricing simply won’t cut it.”
Establish low-emissions zones (LEZs): Typically implemented in districts with excellent transit and a high volume of pedestrians, these zones ban access to private vehicle usage, allowing only for emergency vehicles, residential access, and commercial loading. To effectively address the CBD’s dire congestion problem, we would need a network of several LEZs, which will take much longer to implement and likely meet local political opposition along the way.
Create Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): These networks of dedicated and protected bus lanes, with signal priority and easy boarding, are an inexpensive and quick way to increase access to frequent and fast public transportation. Efforts to reallocate car lanes to bus lanes are also extremely slow and routinely get mired in political battles in the districts that need this service the most, so New York City is a long way off from BRT’s potential benefits, even if we dedicate ourselves tomorrow to implementation of it.
No Street Parking: Removing all on-street parking in designated commercial zones disincentivizes car use by making parking at a destination harder to find, and creates people-centered uses of street space. While removing most, or all, on-street parking from the CBD would reduce driving, it disproportionately impacts lower-income New Yorkers who can’t pay for private off-street parking.
Lower fares for commuter rail and increased service: Neighborhoods primarily served by commuter rail are among the most car dependent in New York City. Daily fares on the Metro-North, LIRR, and NJ Transit are comparable to the costs of driving into the CBD. If fares are significantly lowered, the shift to public transportation will be a simple calculation for many commuters. But, of course, those subsidies and service upgrades need to be funded somehow.
Establish low-traffic neighborhoods (LTNs): These residential areas lower the speed limit, employ physical infrastructure, and change the direction of traffic to discourage driving through the neighborhood en route to another destination. Bigger than a single block but smaller than a whole district, the benefits would be felt on a much lesser scale than congestion pricing in Manhattan below 60th Street. Even if New York City did commit to a network of LTNs across the city, it would likely take years to fully implement, while congestion pricing is ready to start today.
Complete a Protected Bike Lane (PBL) network: Creating a network of separated bike lanes that connect residential neighborhoods to key destinations such as parks, schools, libraries, recreational centers, and commercial districts can greatly increase the number of trips and types of trips that users complete by bike. Any attempts to reallocate car lanes to protected bike lanes in New York City have been very slow, even when mandated, so the implementation of this method is much farther away than a June 30 start date for congestion pricing.
Demand-based parking fees: Using a supply-and-demand model for parking disincentivizes driving at peak-congestion times, due to higher cost. This parking model will raise rates for parking in the CBD which, unlike congestion pricing, will disproportionately reward the wealthy who can pay higher parking fees; congestion pricing, on the other hand, offers toll discounts for low-income drivers and benefits lower-income New Yorkers who use public transit. This method also requires that curb management technology be installed throughout the CBD—likely a slow process—while congestion pricing is ready today to take off the shelf.
Increase fees for car registrations: By charging more at the point of registration, car ownership is more closely tied to the societal costs of driving. While this will reduce driving by New York motorists and provide revenue, it will not apply to the many individuals driving from, or registered in, other states. In fact, 15% of car commuters in Manhattan are from New Jersey alone. It will also require action from Albany—where it could take months, or even years, to approve such a measure—while congestion pricing is ready to go today.
Reroute vehicles to boundary roads and highways: Using street interventions to make driving on city streets slow and frustrating can reduce through-traffic and push cars onto the boundary roads or highways in Manhattan. This would reduce the number of cars in the zone when implemented at scale by the city Department of Transportation, but it’s a big project, likely to come up against outcry from some local residents and in turn delays; congestion pricing can start now.