Just more than a month ago, crossing the chaotic streets of Manhattan with my daughter meant taking a chance with her life, especially as she’s a toddler who would rather run free. We live in the greatest city in the world, but from Broadway to Flatbush Ave., the streets are full of gridlocked drivers whose frustration often puts us in harm’s way. Our walking adventures always felt risky, and the situation has become untenable for some families.
Thankfully, congestion pricing has helped diffuse this situation across our central business district over the last month and a half. As a member of the MTA Board, a New Yorker, and a mom, I cannot be silent when the federal government — an entity that once endorsed this policy — now seeks to undermine it.
At his confirmation hearing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussed his commitment to family and the importance of children’s safety in transportation. More recently, he discussed his desire to ”make people’s lives better and spend time with the people we love, as opposed to going to the grind of our transportation system.”
I applaud the secretary’s dedication to children’s safety and getting people home to spend time with their families, but his actions on congestion pricing show that he isn’t practicing what he preaches.
For years, gridlocked streets posed a serious safety risk to children and families. Combined with the horrors of emergency vehicles struggling to make their way through traffic, I sometimes wondered — who is New York really for? These days, households with young children are twice as likely to move out of New York City than those without young children, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute.
Congestion pricing prioritizes safety, public health, and community — essential for building a life for ourselves and our families and retaining New Yorkers. We say we want a New York City full of families, small businesses, and cultural institutions — congestion pricing helps us achieve this vibrant future.
We cannot afford to allow congestion to once again stifle our economy and endanger our streets when a proven solution is within reach. Our streets are now more safe. There has been a 51% decrease in injuries and a 55% decrease in crashes in the congestion relief zone compared to the same period in January 2024. Calmer streets are a win for parents, who rush home to make it to pick-up and dinner with the kids, which, in turn, builds stronger families and communities.
Safety has not come at the expense of travel times. Early data from the initial month of congestion pricing in Manhattan shows reductions in traffic volumes and improved travel times. Since Jan. 5, the Holland Tunnel has seen an average weekday reduction in travel times of nearly 50% compared to last year. We are also seeing travel time savings beyond the river crossings — traffic on the Long Island Expressway is moving smoother near the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and even on Flatbush Ave. to the Manhattan Bridge!
Congestion pricing means a more efficient city, with businesses operating more smoothly and workers arriving at their jobs on time.
At the same time, revenue generated from the program is projected to bring in $1 billion annually, which will be reinvested directly into upgrading subway infrastructure, enhancing bus service across the city, and improving commuter rail systems that serve our suburban neighbors. Such investments are critical to families throughout the city and beyond who rely on robust public transportation systems for commuting, leisure, and more.
Opponents argue that this will hurt drivers, particularly working-class and middle-class families. However, New Yorkers know that most of us do not drive into Manhattan every day — those who get to work by car represent less than 4% of outer-borough commuters. The truth is that most working-class New Yorkers rely on buses and subways.
Delays, aging infrastructure, and accessibility gaps can make daily commutes unpredictable and exhausting, particularly for those of us in the outer boroughs — which takes away from productivity and valuable time with our loved ones. Investing in transit is how we support working-class families.
I want my child to grow up in a safe, healthy, and efficient city. I want her to cross streets without fear, breathe clean air, and get to where she needs to go on transit. I want to raise her in New York. Congestion pricing is not just a policy — it’s a promise to future generations of New Yorkers. And we must fight to keep that promise.
Valdivia is a transport advisor and a Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Member.
