This New Jersey Commuter Knows: Congestion Pricing Benefits the Entire Region | Opinion

By Mike Owen Benediktsson

After a months-long pause, New York State finally approved the long-awaited congestion pricing program in November of this year, giving approval to the system that will help fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) capital plan. This brings us one step closer to New York City joining major global hubs like London, Stockholm and Singapore – cities that have all long benefited from a similar tolling program.

I grew up in Essex County and lived on both sides of the Hudson River, including two decades in Brooklyn before moving back to New Jersey. For me—now that I’m a regular New Jersey Transit commuter—and my students who rely on the region’s public transit system every day, congestion pricing is a personal matter.

Every day, 447,000 commuters from North Jersey alone cross the Hudson River into Manhattan, relying on the MTA transit system, be it subway or bus, to get to work on time.

The billions of euros generated by congestion prices flow into the crucial maintenance and improvement of regional local transport. Everything from improving accessibility to adding elevators to signal upgrades, reducing delays and integrating electric buses are shared benefits that will be felt by New Jerseyans walking side by side with the New Yorkers sit. On my commute, the 6th Avenue signal upgrade and 59th Street station renovation will improve reliability and enhance the experience.

We have seen time and time again what happens when we underfund our vital systems. Over the past five years, both New York and New Jersey have experienced a “summer of hell,” where getting to or from work could quickly become an hour-long ordeal. And while we made progress on revitalizing the Hudson Tunnel project last summer, other investments remained underfunded and delayed for over a decade, with the impact of a pristine, century-old tunnel felt by thousands every day.

Address the additional pressures resulting from the impacts of our climate crisis and an increase in the number of commuters relying on these very systems (commuters from North Jersey to New York City have increased 62% since 1990) and the urgency of one consistent source of funding because our shared transportation system is irrefutable.

New Jersey has never existed in a vacuum. The critical partnership with New York means an improved system invested in New York’s transportation system will be delivered to New Jersey residents.

The health and environmental benefits of the MTA tolling program are also far-reaching. It is estimated that congestion charging will reduce traffic in the congestion zone by up to 120,000 vehicles per day, significantly reducing the carbon emissions emitted by commuters every day and freeing our roads from life-threatening gridlock.

Going beyond individual commuter benefits, the MTA’s tolling program will spur economic growth in the NY-NJ-CT region and protect over 100,000 jobs anchored in planned transit projects. The sustainability and vitality of our $2 trillion tri-state economy depends on the long-term viability of our MTA transit system.

The benefits of congestion pricing won’t just impact New Jersey commuters – this holiday season, 6.5 million tourists will travel to New York City between Thanksgiving and Christmas. New Jerseyans make up the largest share of domestic and international visitors each year.

New York City is our eternal neighbor and important partner, and as New Jerseyans, we are very proud of the undeniable impact the tri-state region has not only on the United States, but around the world.

But New York City is also the most congested city on the planet, according to global traffic data. Traffic impacts neighborhoods in the congestion relief zone, disrupts our environment and results in an estimated loss of $9.1 billion. While New York’s losses are also ours, New York’s achievements and improvements also lead to our shared success.

We are less than a month away from making congestion pricing a reality, but despite the resounding benefits New Jersey commuters will enjoy from the MTA’s tolling program, Governor Murphy remains fixated on countering what has been viewed as an essential source of funding for our shared transportation hub applies.

New Jersey residents deserve to experience the daily benefits of a thriving, fully funded transportation system. It’s time to implement the congestion pricing program and usher in a new era for the tri-state region.

Mike Owen Benediktsson is an associate professor at Hunter College, a member of the PSC-CUNY union, and a New Jersey native.

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