{"id":189,"date":"2024-11-14T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T20:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/selvena-brooks-powers\/?p=189"},"modified":"2025-08-20T15:24:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:24:32","slug":"statement-on-congestion-pricing-from-new-york-city-council-majority-whip-selvena-n-brooks-powers-chair-of-committee-on-transportation-and-infrastructure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/selvena-brooks-powers\/2024\/11\/14\/statement-on-congestion-pricing-from-new-york-city-council-majority-whip-selvena-n-brooks-powers-chair-of-committee-on-transportation-and-infrastructure\/","title":{"rendered":"Statement on Congestion Pricing from New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks Powers, Chair of Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York, NY<\/strong> \u2014 Millions of New Yorkers rely on our subways, buses, and commuter rail every day, yet there is an urgent need for investment in MTA system improvements in order to allow these methods to best serve our communities. I acknowledge Governor Hochul\u2019s willingness to listen to the voices of those who will be the hardest hit by congestion pricing, such as working New Yorkers who live in transit-sparse neighborhoods by lowering the proposed toll and advocating for increased bus service, but we must do more to mitigate the financial burden.  Additionally, we need to be wary of the non-financial impacts on communities outside of the Central Business District. It is critical that any solution is implemented in a way that adequately takes into account the potential environmental and health impacts to outer-boroughs and surrounding communities, such as increased air pollution from re-routed traffic in neighborhoods of color that already suffer from disproportionate asthma rates. <\/p>\n

The New York City Council has held oversight hearings on congestion pricing in the past and will continue to monitor the MTA’s implementation as it moves forward. I look forward to participating in discussions to ensure congestion pricing revenue is responsibly used for improvement in previously underinvested areas, such as addressing the transit deserts in areas such as parts of Brooklyn, Southeast and Eastern Queens, which are isolated from rail access and could greatly benefit from a project such as the QueensLink, expanded express bus service, more frequent train and rail access. If implemented without real transit benefits on the front end, we run the risk of further marginalizing communities that have been underinvested in for generations.  It must be a priority to ensure that certain areas of our city are not negatively impacted from an economic, environmental, or traffic perspective. I remain standing firm behind the goals of improving our public transit system, decongestion across the city, and impacts on the environment.<\/p>\n

Media Contact for Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers:<\/p>\n

Julian Martin | jmartin@council.nyc.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

###<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York, NY<\/strong> \u2014 Millions of New Yorkers rely on our subways, buses, and commuter rail every day, yet there is an urgent need for investment in MTA system improvements in order to allow these methods to best serve our communities. I acknowledge Governor Hochul\u2019s willingness to listen to the voices of those who will be the hardest hit by congestion pricing, such as working New Yorkers who live in transit-sparse neighborhoods by lowering the proposed toll and advocating for increased bus service, but we must do more to mitigate the financial burden. <\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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