Read the M.T.A.’s Lawsuit Against Federal Officials Over Congestion Pricing

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Case 1:25-cv-01413 Document 1 Filed 02/19/25
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for all who live, work and visit.”34 And the Partnership for New York City’s President & CEO
Kathryn Wylde has stated that, since the onset of Congestion Pricing, New Yorkers are “moving
faster and there’s less traffic,”35 and that “[i]n every respect, this is a policy that President Trump
and the Republicans should be supporting.”³6
88.
Emergency vehicle speeds have also improved. For many years, increasing traffic
in New York City led to longer and longer emergency vehicle response times. As documented in
a report issued by State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who represents much of the CBD, and traffic
engineer Sam Schwartz, over the past decade, “E.M.S. response times to life-threatening situations
had increased by 29%; for Fire Department vehicles tending to medical emergencies, the lag was
up by 72 percent.’
.”37 The preliminary data indicates that emergency vehicles have benefited from
the reduction in congestion and are able to respond more quickly to calls. 38
89.
Reports also indicate that the Program has made the streets safer, with data gathered
by Streetsblog NYC indicating a striking 51% drop in crash-related injuries in the Program’s first
39
12 days as compared to the same time period in 2024.3 Thirty-seven people were injured in 90
total reported crashes, down from 76 injuries in 199 crashes in the same 12-day period in 2024.
90. Also since the onset of Congestion Pricing, subway ridership has increased, while
34 New York’s Chamber (@NYChamber), X, (Nov. 15, 2024, 3:29 PM),
https://x.com/NYChamber/status/1857521387583451602.
35 Dick Brennan, President Trump said to have NYC’s congestion pricing, bike lanes in his crosshairs, CBS NEWS
(Feb. 10, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/president-trump-nyc-congestion-pricing-bike-lanes/.
36
Ry Rivard & Nick Reisman, New York’s business boosters push Trump to keep Manhattan tolls, POLITICO (Feb.
11, 2025), https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/11/new-york-trump-congestion-pricing-00203540.
37 Ginia Bellfante, The Life-or-Death Consequences of Killing Congestion Pricing, N.Y. TIMES (Oct. 10, 2024),
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/nyregion/new-york-fire-department-response-times.html.
38 See METRO. TRANSP. ASS’N, Congestion Relief Zone Update, YOUTUBE (Jan. 29, 2025),
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD5KpBz2yIE.
39 Diana Ionescu, NYC Congestion Pricing May be Saving Lives, PLANETIZEN (Jan. 27, 2025),
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/01/133978-nyc-congestion-pricing-may-be-saving-
lives#:~:text=New%20York%20City’s%20new,time%20period%20the%20prior%20year.
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