As you probably know, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced support for congestion pricing in August, saying that it "is an idea whose time has come." Earlier this month, he formed an advisory panel tasked with developing proposals that would both reduce traffic congestion on New York City streets and create a dedicated revenue stream for MTA funding.
While the Governor's coming around to the benefits of road pricing is certainly a welcome development, the fact is that a perfectly good plan for addressing both congestion and MTA funding already exists: the Move NY Fair Plan. Created by transportation expert Sam Schwartz (who's serving on the Governor's Fix NYC advisory panel) and economist Charles Komanoff, the Move NY plan has been on the table for several years, and was introduced as legislation by Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez more than a year and a half ago.
Here's where the action comes in. Tomorrow, Assembly Democrats are gathering in Albany to discuss legislative priorities for the next session. We know that congestion pricing is on the agenda, so it's critical that you contact your Democratic Assembly Member TODAY to ask him or her to support Move NY. It's doubly or triply important if you live in the Bronx, Queens or Brooklyn.
You can locate your Assembly Member, and his or her contact information, using your home address, here. Be sure to call or email today. Here's a sample script, but it will be even more effective if you put it into your own words:
"Hi, I’m a voter in your district and urge you to support the Move NY version of congestion pricing because the plan is the only one on the table that will fix our transit and road system, curb traffic, fill transit deserts and lower fares for low-income New Yorkers. [You can add a statement tailored to your own neighborhood, such as "traffic on Queens Boulevard" or "terrible subway conditions in Bay Ridge."] I'm counting on you to make sure that the Move NY plan is passed by the New York State Legislature. Thank you."
It's critical that Democratic Assembly Members hear from as many constituents as possible before they meet tomorrow. We're counting on you to contact yours.
