Good morning. I’m Tom Wright, President and CEO of RPA.

I’m here this morning to urge the members of the MTA Board of Directors to do everything in your power to implement congestion pricing, a policy which will bring important benefits to New Yorkers, businesses and residents of the entire tri-state metropolitan region. No other policy holds so much promise to invest in our mass transit system and manage our out-of-control traffic congestion. It has worked everywhere it has been done and would work here.

As Judge Liman wrote in his powerful opinion last week, the impacts of congestion pricing have been painstakingly studied. This policy will generate over $1 billion annually for transit while reducing traffic congestion – which is worse today than ever before. Vehicle travel speeds in Midtown now average just 5 miles per hour – 3% slower than in 2019. The streets are full, and the best way to grow the regional economy is to reduce congestion and fund mass transit.

Pausing congestion pricing threatens not just $15 billion for the MTA’s capital plan and our hopes of getting traffic under control but it also jeopardizes billions in federal funding and over 100,000 jobs, as Reinvent Albany’s research has shown.

If political leaders are worried about unintended consequences – which is always a possibility – they have many options for mitigating these concerns. But it should not be rejected out of hand, especially when we have invested so much in the program and are so close to what would be a transformational shift in how New Yorkers, commuters and visitors travel around the city and region.

This is our chance to build a safer, cleaner, more equitable and prosperous city for our children and grandchildren. Please don’t delay in moving this policy forward.