Good morning. My name is Zoe Baldwin and I’m the NJ Director for the Regional Plan Association, a nearly 100 year old civic organization working toward better mobility, economic opportunity, affordable housing, and a more resilient 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. However, many in New Jersey expressed valid concerns about how this will impact drivers and communities on this side of the Hudson, and whether the policy will be equitably and fairly implemented.

As a lifelong NJ resident, I fully understand those concerns, and am here today to reiterate that congestion pricing benefits New Jerseyans a great deal.

While New Jersey drivers have always paid tolls to cross the Hudson River, many drivers from Westchester, Long Island and Connecticut have avoided paying tolls by crossing at free, city-owned crossings such as the Brooklyn Bridge. With appropriate toll credits in place at the three Hudson River crossings, this new policy will level the playing field.

4-out-of-5 NJ commuters use transit to cross the Hudson River, and congestion pricing will reduce traffic delays for that small percentage of commuters that do need to drive into the central business district. Our estimates show this program will decrease traffic by about 15% during busy periods, which is good for our commutes, our commerce, and our air quality.

Additionally, congestion pricing will help improve the City’s public transit system, which is used by a vast majority of NJ commuters once they cross the river, further facilitating a smooth ride to work.

In 2019, we produced a thorough report that analyzed a number of toll scenarios and laid out recommendations for implementation. It is available on our website at rpa.org.

Two of the key recommendations in that report focused on the need for MTA to create a consistent toll rate for all similar trips by providing toll credits to drivers at the three Hudson River crossings, and to vary the congestion fee by the level of congestion at different times of day, and by size of vehicle. These recommendations will eliminate unwanted traffic shifts caused by drivers ​“shopping” for the cheapest tolls and will incentivize off peak travel, further reducing congestion across the region.

The MTA should incorporate these recommendations, and also analyze localized traffic impacts in neighborhoods like Jersey City, Hoboken, Union City, and Fort Lee.

The bottom line is that congestion pricing will be a big win for the entire region, but we strongly urge the MTA to consider the impacts it will have on both sides of the Hudson River and implement it fairly and equitably.

Thank you.