Good evening. My name is Melissa Kaplan-Macey and I’m Vice President for State Programs for the Regional Plan Association, a nearly 100 year old civic organization working for mobility, economic opportunity, affordable housing, and a more resilient New York City metropolitan region.

For decades, we have strongly supported congestion pricing because we think it is a centerpiece of a set of policies that will lead to a greener, more equitable region. Done right, congestion pricing reduces driver delays, improves transit and reduces air pollution both in and out of the charging zone.

Congestion pricing will raise vital revenue for public transit, and 100% of this net revenue will go into paying for improvements to our public transportation system. Most Westchester County commuters to Manhattan ride transit; less than 3% drive to work in the congestion pricing zone. Westchester County residents will benefit from better transit, and reduced traffic when they go into Manhattan below 60th Street.

Congestion pricing will reduce traffic congestion. Traffic congestion causes crashes and injuries, air pollution, and hurts our economic recovery. We need tools to manage it, especially since traffic is already surpassing pre COVID levels. For Westchester residents driving into Manhattan, our estimates show that congestion pricing will mean a 10%-15% increase in traffic speeds during busy periods.

Congestion pricing will make the transportation system more equitable. This will benefit lower income households who don’t own a car and rely on transit because owning a car is expensive.

Regional Plan Association produced a thorough report in 2019 that analyzed a number of toll scenarios and laid out recommendations for implementation. It is available for all to read on our website at rpa.org.

Key recommendations from the report are as follows:

1. Implement transit and bicycle improvements prior to starting congestion pricing.

2. Adopt specific objectives and metrics to meet traffic, environmental, and health goals and ensure that benefits are equitably shared.

3. Create a consistent toll rate for all similar trips by providing toll off-sets to drivers at MTA river crossings to reduce ​“shopping” for the cheapest tolls. We have found that 25% of morning traffic on the BQE is avoiding tolls on the Hugh Carey Tunnel, to take advantage of the free East River bridges.

4. Introduce two-way tolling in the congestion zone.

5. Vary the congestion fee by the level of congestion at different times of day, and by size of vehicle.

The MTA should incorporate these recommendations, and also analyze localized traffic impacts in neighborhoods near the river crossings.

Thank you.