Priorities

Keeping Manhattan Moving:

A Dynamic Congestion Pricing Model and Safe Streets for All

I’m a Manhattanite through and through  — so much so that I’ve never had a driver’s license. I’ve built my life, my career, and my family around walking, biking, and riding the subway. That’s why I’m a staunch supporter of anything that reduces traffic and reliance on cars. For example, congestion pricing has so far demonstrably reduced traffic in the borough and raised $45 million in revenue for our mass transit systems. If that means breathing fewer carcinogenic pollutants in our lungs, then like any effective treatment plan, we don’t stop once the symptoms improve — we keep refining the solution. 

As Borough President, I’ll advocate for a next-generation congestion pricing system that’s more dynamic, more equitable, and more responsive to real-time needs.

​

A Smarter, Fairer Congestion Pricing Plan

​​

Dynamic Pricing Based on Real-Time Traffic

The current model is static — a flat fee at all hours. But traffic isn’t flat. You shouldn’t be charged anything more than a nominal fee (if at all) at 3AM in the morning when there are no cars, so let’s fix that. 

Research from the Manhattan Institute and the Regional Plan Association suggests that dynamic pricing would optimize tolling revenues and confer the greatest social benefit to commuters, provided a cap on the toll exists. 

With variable pricing that adjusts based on time of day and real-time congestion levels, we can:

• Reduce traffic when it’s worst

• Lower tolls during off-peak hours

• Incentivize smarter commuting

• Raise more revenue without punishing working New Yorkers

​​

We can gamify it: if New Yorkers collectively keep traffic low, tolls stay low. We can encourage commuters to strategically pick their mode of transportation so as not to hike tolling prices any further. That’s public policy as a team sport — and when New Yorkers work together, then the policy will work for all. 

​

​Exemptions for Low-Income Drivers and Essential Trips

While we want fewer cars in Manhattan, we also recognize that not everyone has another option — especially essential workers, caregivers, the elderly, and people with disabilities who must rely on their automobiles to survive. Good governance is not about punishment, but collaboration. 

​

Currently, residents of the Congestion Relief Zone are entitled to a 50 percent discount after their first ten trips in a calendar month, provided that their household income is under $60,000 a year. I will work to expand these discounts for lower-income Manhattanites, as well as those who qualify for this income bracket and commute to work in Manhattan from elsewhere.

​

Therefore, the existing income-based discount is a start, but it doesn’t go far enough. I’ll fight to:

• Expand income eligibility thresholds for congestion pricing exemptions and discounts

• Include out-of-borough commuters who qualify

• Ensure exemptions for medical appointments and essential deliveries

​​

Good governance is not about punishment, but collaboration: We need a just, flexible system that understands the real lives of working New Yorkers.

​

New York can therefore lead the way with a congestion pricing model that’s fair, forward-looking, and public-health driven. We can make our streets safer, our air cleaner, and our city more accessible — not just for the few, but for the many.

​

Safe Streets Are Healthy Streets

As an emergency physician, I’ve treated too many crash victims — cyclists, pedestrians, kids, and seniors — whose injuries could have been prevented with better design and smarter policy.

​

Harden Bike Lanes & Enforce Safe Speeds
Speed matters. A pedestrian hit at 30 mph has a 45% chance of dying. At 20 mph, that risk drops to 5%. The math is clear — and lives are at stake. I’ll advocate to:

• Lower speed limits borough-wide to 20 mph or lower

• Physically harden bike lanes, especially for e-bike and delivery traffic

• Require universal daylighting at all intersections so drivers can actually see crossing pedestrians

​

These aren’t radical ideas — they’re life-saving measures backed by science and public health. As an emergency room doctor, my job is to keep you out of the ER — but I can only do that if we implement smart measures to reduce automobile speeds, protect cyclists, and improve our infrastructure to be as safe as possible.

​

Because in a city this dense, every inch counts. Every life does, too.