Capital Program Testimony- Congestion Pricing: Continuing to make Capital Investments Possible.

Good day, my name is Nia James, the Policy and Public Affairs Associate with the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC. 

Just last week, the Governor announced a $1.9B congestion pricing-funded investment to make A and C service in Brooklyn and Queens more efficient with CBTC signal modernization. That will make the commutes of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers faster and more reliable. 

This past month there were several station upgrades and a groundbreaking at 42^nd – Bryant Park, where the first ‘funded by Congestion Pricing’ signage was unveiled. Adding this important signage shows people just where that critical money is going.   Straphangers and drivers alike will now be able to see the benefits of funding made available because of the program with this special branding. PCAC has long called for signs to highlight how essential the program is to delivering the MTA’s capital needs. This is just one of six stations that began construction of ADA upgrades because of Congestion Pricing funding. 137 St-City College elevators are now open on both sides, making the station fully accessible.  

It is always something to celebrate when there are accessibility improvements, so getting to 70% completion on Metro-North’s Woodlawn, Williams Bridge and Botanical Garden stations is a plus. We would just ask that the signage at Botanical Garden be improved to better direct passengers to the GCT Bound platform due to the overpass closure.  

The Capital Program Dashboard is a great tool interested parties may use to remain engaged with the progress and spending of capital projects. This renewed dashboard was a major improvement to user experience and interface. Although we will continue to advocate for increased transparency, the dashboard provides information that can also keep folks apprised of what is being funded by congestion pricing.  

As strong supporters of Congestion Pricing since before its inception, PCAC will continue to acknowledge the great work the MTA is delivering on with the accessibility and efficiency upgrades to the system.