Congestion Pricing is Key to Solving NYC’s Growing Traffic Crisis, Former U.S. Federal Highway Consultant Testifies at Public Hearing

NEW YORK, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Congestion pricing is the key to making a wide array of management strategies effective to solve New York City’s growing traffic crisis in the long run. That was the testimony tonight by a former transportation consultant for the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Michael Replogle, during a public hearing at Hunter College in upper Manhattan hosted by the New York City Traffic Mitigation [Reduction] Commission.

“There are no easy political solutions to the city’s legendary growing traffic jams that waste our precious time, harm our health, damage our region’s economy, and contribute to global warming and other environmental problems,” testified Replogle, a civil engineer who currently is the transportation director for Environmental Defense. “That’s why it’s vitally important for the commission to find cost-effective solutions to cut New York City’s traffic and related pollution, while boosting travel choices.”

The New York City Traffic Mitigation Commission is a 17-member commission mandated by the state legislature that held the second evening of hearings to get public input for solutions to New York City’s ever-worsening road congestion that costs drivers in the region more than a full work week each year stuck in traffic.

“World-wide experience shows that congestion pricing is the only proven method that cuts congestion, while ensuring other traffic alleviation alternatives achieve long-lasting results,” Replogle added. “Without congestion pricing, other traffic solutions don’t add up in terms of revenues to pay for better transit or in terms of long-term traffic relief. Congestion pricing can boost equity by cutting delay for fare-paying bus riders stuck in traffic caused in part by commuters driving into Manhattan on free bridges.”

Replogle urged the commission to consider cost effectiveness as it refines the congestion pricing plan, learning from the experience of other major cites that have adopted congestion pricing to achieve better bang for the buck and transportation performance. London spends roughly half of its congestion pricing toll revenue it collects administering the toll collection system while charging very high tolls. Stockholm’s 2006 time-of-day based congestion pricing pilot program was able to collect revenue twice as efficiently as London, with lower tolls. And Singapore, which has had almost a decade to fine tune its congestion charging system, is nearly nine times more cost-effective than the London system.

“Performance goals should guide this pilot program to ensure that tolls, transit services, and other supporting measures will be adjusted as needed to deliver better and more reliable transportation services, improved travel choices, and reduced congestion and pollution,” concluded Replogle. “Building these goals into the region’s air pollution control plans would provide effective environmental oversight for the initiative and ensure the pilot program protects public health, the environment, and the quality of life and transportation services for New Yorkers in every neighborhood and borough.”

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. http://www.environmentaldefense.org/

Environmental Defense

CONTACT: Michael Replogle, +1-301-529-0351,mreplogle@environmentaldefense.org or Sean Crowley, +1-202-572-3331,scrowley@environmentaldefense.org, both of Environmental Defense.

Web Site: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/