Wednesday’s Headlines: Hochul Was Right On Congestion Pricing, Part 541 Edition
This just in from the Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (no slouches there), in partnership with the Yale School of Public Health (equally impressive, if you ask us): car crashes have declined dramatically in Manhattan’s congestion relief zone, thanks to the central business district toll that began on Jan. 5, 2025.
The findings, published in the esteemed American Journal of Epidemiology, showed that crashes in Manhattan below 59th Street averaged 549 crashes per month, but dropped to an average of 496 crashes per month in the six months after implementation — a decline of almost 10 percent. Meanwhile, crashes in a representative control group dropped by only 2 percent.
Our friends at Streetsblog NYC have been reporting on the safety benefits of congestion pricing for months, so it’s nice to see the longhairs of the Ivy League confirm our findings. Pinot noirs all around.
One programming note: Austin C. Jefferson is on vacation til Monday, but here’s some news to chew on until he gets back:
- It’s officially “Wear Blue and Orange Day,” as proclaimed by Knick-loving Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- Muscle truck buyers care more about their twisted definition of machismo than high gas prices, pollution or endangering their kids. (NY Times)
- Jersey City is still eating our lunch at quick fix safety features. (NJ.com)
- Newsday did an interesting video about a just-settled settlement for the family of a Long Island woman who was struck by an LIRR train.
- Both the location of housing near transit and the frequency of transit service are important for getting people to ride transit. Surprisingly, Los Angeles is at the top of the Urban Institute’s metric, followed by San Francisco and New York City. Less surprisingly, Sun Belt cities Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are at the bottom.
- Why do fatal crashes caused by school bus companies not show up on the companies’ federal safety records? ProPublica got to the bottom of it.
- Niagara Falls is looking up. (Buffalo News)
- Carnage near Syracuse. (Syracuse.com)
- Feel like taking a scenic train trip this summer? Travel + Leisure suggests a few Amtrak routes.
- We’d like to wish Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie a speedy recovery:
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