Emily Gates’ Post

Perhaps I paid too much attention in economics class? But shouldn't the public discussion about congestion pricing in NYC be more focused on what price is appropriate versus the whole idea of congestion pricing? It has been shown in many cities that congestion pricing generates revenue which can be used for public transit projects, reduces traffic in the city, and speeds up the movement of traffic. The big unknown is what the relationship is between price and these proven outcomes. So why was price not part of the political discussion? https://lnkd.in/eQ3RaP-R

New York City was going to implement congestion tolls for all traffic entering lower Manhattan. Trucks would expect to pay $24 to $36 for most hours of the day. And then... Nothing happened! The MTA's June 30 implementation date was cancelled, and the toll program postponed indefinitely. Does this mean congestion tolls are cancelled forever? No; it is still on the table. Why were the tolls postponed? The program wasn't going to be very helpful. Yes, the tolls would incentivize commuters to take public transit over passenger vehicles—and, yes, it would help immensely in funding public transit improvements. But the tolls against commercial vehicles would simply push increased operational costs onto consumers, ultimately worsening the city's cost of living crisis. Plus, New York City's public transit is still comparatively bad. London or Singapore, the major metropolitan centers currently using congestion tolls, have significantly more robust transit infrastructure. NYC's program feels like a cart-before-the-horse situation. Read more on FleetOwner, featuring expertise from Trimble Maps's Rishi Mehra: https://lnkd.in/g_efKUqg

The @Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted yesterday to move ahead with its #congestionpricing plan, making New York the first city in the United States to adopt this kind of program, following successful implementations in London, Stockholm, and other global cities. In yesterday's "Inside City Hall" segment on Spectrum News NY1, Kathy Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership and member of the Traffic Mobility Review Board -- which developed the congestion pricing framework -- said “This takes a lot of courage. It's hard to impose a new charge on the driving public, but it's an important breakthrough.”   Watch the full interview below.   #nyc #publictransit #sustainability 

(Below is my personal opinion, not FTA's) Many years ago, a Hong Kong actor shared his thought about NYC after his visit and said, "NYC is a heaven above ground, and a hell underground." In "heaven," there are marvelous buildings, interesting streets, and beautiful parks that fascinate numerous people. On the other hand, "hell" tortures riders with delayed trains, dysfunctional communication systems, limited accessibility, etc. Has NYC's transit system ALWAYS been this "hellish?" Absolutely not - there was a time when the system was marvelous, interesting and beautiful and served as a role model for many others. However, due to insufficient infrastructure investments in subsequent years, the system condition has deteriorated. There was once a golden opportunity to reverse this trend with revenue from congestion pricing. The $15 billion could have been generated to improve accessibility, electrify buses, replace elevators and escalators, upgrade infrastructure and power, purchase new railcars and buses, expand subway lines, and modernize signals. NYC could have been the trailblazer in the US in turning things around for public transit and delivering high-quality services its residents and visitors rightfully and urgently deserve. The decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing is not only unwise, but also harmful to the city's future in the long term. Despite this upsetting setback, I do believe that the push for congestion pricing will continue because it is the right solution for many transit problems in NYC. The recently paused proposal was developed after years of discussions and work. Now it may take many more years before the actual implementation, but one day we will get there and make underground a "heaven" as well. Stay optimistic.

Keeping the Economy Mobile: The Need for Cohesive Freight Planning in New York City is the latest in our series of thought pieces focused on the future of urban mobility. Written in collaboration with the Trucking Association of New York , we share solutions that New York City (and other dense urban areas) can use to reposition themselves for innovative and sustainable growth. #freightplanning #mobility #urbanmobilitynyc https://lnkd.in/d_Ctm9Gy

Tennessee Department of Transportation, great to see the leadership. This will help Build a Stronger and More Connected Nation. Turning I-24, I-40, I-65, I-440, I-840 into Intelligent Infrastructure Economic Zones, enabling advanced services to the entire region. https://lnkd.in/gWnJD877 INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE (the foundation of ARPA-I) goes well beyond transportation. It will be the "Brains of our Economy", creating $billions of economic growth, saving lives, and creating millions of new jobs. The Intelligent Transportation Systems from Mina Sartipi, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, can be activated across the entire state to create safe and resilient supply chains. The Federal Infrastructure Bank and infrastructure investors are mobilizing $billions in private capital to underwrite Intelligent Infrastructure. Building the Infrastructure for the Next 100 Years. Autonomy Institute https://lnkd.in/gd4tNKyi #infrastructure #future #transportation #internationaltrade #economicdevelopment #Texas #interstate   #arpai #arpax #jobs #bank #digital #innovation #data #people #visionzero #continuumofcapital #dataexchange #partnerships #supplychains #digitaltwin #privacy #investment #p3programs

Congestion pricing was supposed to commence on June 30th—but is now on an "indefinite pause." Mike Flynn, AICP, Senior Principal & New York General Manager, & Melvin Wah, AICP, Senior Planner write on the path forward for this vital policy: #CongestionPricing #mobility #transportation #UrbanPlanning #PublicPolicy

Last week's news about a "pause" on congestion pricing was disheartening. Global data consistently demonstrates the effectiveness of congestion pricing, and local data indicates that NYC urgently needs it. In all, the majority of people that come to the congestion zone do so via mass transit. Let's improve those systems with the dedicated funding from congestion pricing; the net benefits far outweigh the negatives. Thrilled to contribute, along with Sam Schwartz, to Regional Plan Association's latest reporting. #congestionpricing #congestiontollingprogram #mta #nyc #CongestionPricingNow https://lnkd.in/eGsHKYy2

How could accessibility improve in Alameda County, California if a couple of light-rail lines are added to complement the BART and AC Transit bus services? Take a look at the experiment we did in minutes using URBANLY's accessibility engine: we added four light-rail lines connecting main stations and points of interest in the area between East Oakland and San Leandro and compared accessibility metrics. In which city would you like to see an experiment like this? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

There are several corridors in the City that could be transformed with wider sidewalks, narrowed roads, tree-lined medians - could improve safety, foot traffic to support businesses, green infrastructure https://lnkd.in/d88MWT9x