Congestion is making driving in the city slower than ever.
On the heels of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to suspend the city’s congestion pricing program, traffic in Midtown Manhattan “is moving slower than ever,” according to an article by David Meyer in Streetsblog NYC.
“Average speeds in the CBD for 2024 dropped below 7 miles per hour last month, according to taxi and for-hire vehicle speed data analyzed by former city Traffic Commissioner Sam ‘Gridlock Sam’ Schwartz.” According to Schwartz, “Traffic volumes are about 2 to 3 percent higher than they were in 2019, and truck volumes are about 10 to 15 percent higher.”
Schwartz says traffic in the CBD moved at 6.8 miles per hour, while midtown traffic moved at 4.6 mph, a drop of 25 percent since 2010. “Congestion pricing tolls, which the MTA was set to charge once per day on vehicles that enter Manhattan below 60th Street, would have reduced the number of cars and trucks in the CBD by 17 percent, according to official forecasts.”
FULL STORY: Midtown Traffic Slower Than Ever After Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Betrayal
Tri-State Economies to Lose Billions From Congestion Pricing Pause
New York City’s congestion pricing program, suspended by Governor Hochul earlier this year, would have pumped $12 billion into local projects and jobs.
Congestion Pricing: New York City’s Next Hero
Big problems need big solutions.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research