New York City’s public transit system is one of the most impressive in the world, moving millions of people every day. It’s far less impressive, however, for the nearly one million New Yorkers with disabilities — and visitors with disabilities — who have long been denied equal access to it, and thus denied equal access to education, employment, healthcare, cultural institutions, visiting with friends and family — in short, all the city has to offer.
That’s why so many disability justice advocates have fought for the city’s congestion relief program, even as it stood against tough odds and public disapproval for years before finally becoming a reality. With the potential to reduce dangerous car traffic, speed up our paratransit and bus systems, improve air quality, and fund critical investments in long-overdue accessibility improvements, the program is a clear solution to various of our transportation system’s historic shortcomings.
Now, nearly a year after its implementation, the results are even clearer: NYC is becoming a safer and more accessible place for people with disabilities. And that’s good news for all New Yorkers.
Looking at the bigger picture, the impact of congestion pricing for everyone is unmistakable. Nearly 18 million fewer vehicles have entered the zone since January, reducing gridlock for buses and speeding up commutes. Traffic injuries are down 15% and pedestrian fatalities are at historic lows. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are breathing easier from decreased levels of fine particulate matter and better air quality. All of this means safer streets, faster commutes, and cleaner air.
And the impact is felt especially among people with disabilities. Those safer streets and fewer fatalities are particularly important, as a disproportionately high percentage of car-pedestrian deaths happen to people using wheelchairs. And congestion relief’s cleaner air helps people with respiratory and cardiac disabilities who are disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
We’ve also seen critical improvements to Access-A-Ride, the MTA’s paratransit system for people with disabilities who are unable to take subways and buses. The system has been historically slow and unreliable. It’s also costly to operate — in part due to overreliance on paratransit because the subway system is only 30% accessible. Now, Access-A-Ride is moving faster within the congestion relief zone, which is critical because its riders cannot wait for lengthy subway improvements.
That said, the long-term benefits of the congestion relief program are also undeniable. The program has already generated $365 million in revenue to invest in new transit infrastructure upgrades, which will support the MTA’s promise of $12 billion earmarked for accessibility improvements in the combined 2020-24 and 2025-29 capital plans. So while the MTA’s 2022 legal commitment to make 95% of subway stations stair-free accessible by 2055 was crucial, now it has the funding and accountability to make that promise real.
The $365 million in new revenue is already helping 23 stations across all five boroughs undergo accessibility improvements using congestion relief funds. Looking ahead, more than 60 additional stations are on track to become stair-free accessible in the 2025-2029 capital plan. These are the kinds of improvements that we couldn’t have written about a year ago before the program began.
They are also the type of improvements that remain under threat. Any pauses or delays in the congestion relief program — whether from Washington or Albany — will risk accessibility projects. We already saw that happen last year when the program was paused and subway station accessibility improvements were put on hold.
And let’s not forget: when we make the city more accessible for people with disabilities, we make it better for everyone. Elevators also benefit parents with strollers; curb cuts assist delivery workers with dollies; wayfinding features help tourists move around our city with ease; protective barriers make stations safer for kids; and everyone benefits from the comfort of wider doors and gates as well as the safety of smaller gaps between platforms and trains.
As we continue the work of making transportation in New York fully accessible to people with disabilities, one thing is clear: congestion pricing is paving the way for a future where all New Yorkers can enjoy equal access to the opportunities this city affords.
Schuyler is a managing attorney with the Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
