Advocates Call on NY/NJ Port Authority to Release Congestion Pricing Data
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY – During national Sunshine Week, a coalition of more than 30 advocacy organizations from across New York and New Jersey is urging regional transportation agencies to increase transparency by sharing vital data about congestion pricing’s regional impact. The letter to the Port Authority of NJ/NY can be found here, and the letter to NJ Transit and NJ Turnpike Authority can be found here.
The coalition has sent two detailed sign-on letters to the NY/NJ Port Authority, NJ Transit, and NJ Turnpike Authority requesting the release of transportation statistics that would help everyone understand how congestion pricing is affecting commuters throughout the region.
The impact of Congestion Pricing can be felt far beyond the streets of Manhattan. The program is reshaping travel patterns throughout the entire region, yet transportation agencies have not provided sufficient public data about its regional impact. Without comprehensive data, stakeholders cannot properly assess one of the most significant transportation changes in decades.
The advocates are requesting the immediate release of hourly transit ridership figures, bridge and tunnel crossing statistics, and revenue data that would illuminate shifts in commuter behavior since congestion pricing implementation. The coalition asks that this information be provided in accessible, open-data formats with detailed breakdowns by route, time of day, and transportation mode.
In their letter to New Jersey agencies, the coalition specifically addresses congestion pricing’s cross-Hudson effects, requesting data on changes in NJ Transit ridership, NJ Turnpike usage patterns, and revenue fluctuations.
Commuter patterns are changing, and understanding these changes will be key to future planning for agencies to ensure the most efficient use of transportation dollars. In their letters, the advocates note that transportation agencies in other major metropolitan areas routinely publish similar data sets.
Without this data, the public, advocates, and elected officials cannot fully understand whether congestion pricing is achieving its goals or shifting traffic patterns across state lines.
The coalition hopes for a prompt and cooperative response from the transportation agencies to their formal request for this important public information.
“As the nation’s press corps and transparency advocates celebrate Sunshine Week, there is no better time for our major service providers like the Port Authority of NY/NJ to embrace transparency and publish more open data,” said Rachael Fauss, Senior Policy Advisor for Reinvent Albany. “Information is power, and policymakers will be able to better understand ridership and traffic patterns with release of these datasets.”
“Open data from our transportation agencies can serve as the foundation for understanding how our regional systems are performing, especially with a significant change like congestion pricing now in effect,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “We’re simply asking these agencies to provide the same level of transparency that other major transit systems across the country already offer. Without this data, we cannot properly assess whether congestion pricing is meeting its intended goals of reducing traffic, improving air quality, and enhancing mobility across our interconnected region. This information is crucial not just for advocates, but for policymakers and the public to make informed decisions about our transportation future.”
“New Jersey has ambitious safety, economic, and environmental policy goals, but without comprehensive driving and ridership data, we cannot measure progress,” said Alex Ambrose, Policy Analyst, New Jersey Policy Perspective. “Policymakers, advocates, and riders need access to this information to understand the impact of key decisions — like congestion pricing, highway expansions, and fare hikes — on transportation patterns. Keeping this data under wraps leaves the Port Authority, NJ Transit, and the Turnpike Authority lagging behind their peers. Transparency is essential to making informed decisions that move New Jersey forward.”
“MTA data confirms the experience of New Yorkers across the city—congestion pricing is working; there are fewer vehicles in the zone, leading to less gridlock, faster buses, and more funding for our vital transit system” said Talya Schwartz, Lead Strategist, OpenPlans. “ We know these benefits reach beyond the relief zone and the more data we have, the more we can improve—and celebrate—this program. We call on the Port Authority to collaborate with the MTA and share regional data in a transparent and timely manner. Knowledge is power, and this successful program is under attack from the federal government. It is urgent that all stakeholders unite to share congestion pricing’s success and protect the benefits that it has provided to every resident throughout the region.”
Click here or below to see the full letter.