For Immediate Release: November 14, 2024
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
ALIGN to Governor Hochul: Congestion Pricing is the Bare Minimum
New York, NY – In response to the proposal from Governor Hochul to reinstate the congestion pricing program with a $9 toll, ALIGN (The Alliance for a Greater New York) released the following statement:
“With brush fires burning across New York City this week, our grim climate reality is visible quite literally in our backyard, and it’s more important than ever that our leaders take bold action. Reinstating congestion pricing is welcome news, as it will reduce pollution while investing in our neglected public transit system, both repairing aging infrastructure and preparing for extreme weather events to come. It will also fund mitigation projects to improve public health in environmental justice communities feeling the worst climate impacts, and employ more than 100,000 New Yorkers, overwhelmingly in union jobs.
However, we are concerned with a lower base toll sufficiently funding the action we need — with a new administration in the White House that has vowed to deprioritize climate, this is not a time for austerity. And while unpausing congestion pricing is a great step forward, it cannot be the only one. Governor Hochul should, as soon as possible: sign the Climate Change Superfund Act to make Big Oil pay for the rising costs of the climate crisis. Build public renewable energy. Decarbonize our polluting buildings. Prioritize big, bold investments in community-led climate projects. Congestion pricing is the bare minimum; it’s time for New York to step up and lead,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director.
About ALIGN
ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) brings together labor, climate, and community organizations for a more just, sustainable New York. Working at the intersection of economic and climate justice, ALIGN builds coalitions with those most impacted and uplifts worker and community voices to fight for dignity in the workplace and a just path to a renewable energy economy for all.