CITY HALL – On Monday, March 24th, the Council’s Committee on State and Federal Legislation will hold an oversight hearing to discuss the recommendations made by the New York City Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission. The commission, which released its final report on January 31st, was asked to analyze the costs and benefits of various plans to reduce traffic congestion in New York City and to formulate a final set of recommendations for the actions the city should take. The hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. In order to allow for more public participation, an additional evening session will begin at 6:00 p.m.

“As it stands, traffic congestion, especially in Manhattan, is costing New Yorkers billions of dollars a year, not to mention the damage that it does to our environment,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “New York City is already bursting at the seams, and if we are going to be able to accommodate the million more people that are expected to live here by 2030, we need to tackle this issue head on. The congestion pricing plan put forward by the commission offers us a unique opportunity to reduce gridlock in Manhattan and create substantial new source of revenue for mass transit in all five boroughs. I thank all of the members of the commission for their hard work on this issue, and I look forward to working with each of them to find the best solution for New York City.”

“Traffic congestion is an issue of vital importance to the future of New York City,” said Council Member Maria Baez, Chair of the State and Federal Legislation Committee. “As chair of the committee, I look forward to holding this hearing in order to afford individuals the opportunity to express their support or opposition in regard to the Congestion Pilot Program.”

The Traffic Mitigation Commission was convened last July in response to Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. Since then, the commission has held numerous public hearings and has heard testimony from experts, advocates and the public, all of which has been used to inform the commission’s final report.

###