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For Immediate Release: October 25, 2007
Coalition of Elected Officials, Labor, Environmental Groups Urges State Commission to Explore Options to Address Truck Gridlock
Move NY & NJ Submits Proposal for Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, Cites Need to Protect Outer Boroughs from Truck Traffic
October 25, 2007 -- Move NY & NJ -- a broad coalition of elected officials and leaders from New York's business, labor and environmental communities -- today called on the New York City Traffic Mitigation Congestion Commission to consider additional proposals beyond congestion pricing to reduce traffic throughout New York.
"Traffic mitigation proposals such as congestion pricing are absolutely necessary to build a sustainable New York City," said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan). "But we face basic inefficiencies in our infrastructure that cannot be solved by congestion pricing alone--we must also examine other ideas that will take additional traffic off of our roads. For instance, most major metropolitan areas do not rely solely on road-based freight movement to get goods in and out. Only a major change to the City’s infrastructure will effectively prevent massive gridlock caused by the rapidly escalating number of trucks that now bring in that freight."
"Many of us think congestion pricing is sorely needed. Personally I strongly support it and urge this commission to adopt it--but it is only one piece of the congestion puzzle," said Sen. Jose M. Serrano (D-Bronx/Manhattan). "We need a comprehensive strategy for traffic mitigation if we are going to face down this traffic crisis."
In their submission to the Traffic Mitigation Congestion Commission, officials urged the commission to take note of the fact that 60 percent of available road space on major New York arteries is already taken up with trucks -- badly damaging air quality, forcing bridges past capacity and snarling roadways throughout the City -- and that the number of truck trips taken across the City is expected to double in the next 20 years.
Move NY & NJ also urged the Commission to recognize and take steps to address the disproportionate impact truck traffic has on the outer boroughs.
"It makes no sense for huge, 18-wheel trucks to be rumbling through the streets of Manhattan," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. "A Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel would remove this unnecessary burden and help create a saner system for moving freight in New York City. Without a major change to the way we move in goods to New York, we will certainly pay a higher and higher price as New Yorkers."
"Traffic is strangling our boroughs and clogging arterials vital to our economic survival," said City Council Transportation Committee Chairman John Liu (D-Queens). "This commission needs to move beyond the question of congestion pricing and advance a comprehensive traffic mitigation plan that helps New Yorkers throughout the city commute to work and gets trucks off our streets in Bayside, Greenpoint, East Harlem, the South Bronx, and other neighborhoods."
"This City needs a much more comprehensive truck traffic mitigation strategy to deal with a looming 70 percent increase in the amount of freight projected to come into New York by 2025," said City Council Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin (D-Queens). "If we don’t do more to address this traffic crisis, the repercussions will be dire."
Move NY & NJ members called on the commission to not only consider congestion pricing but to support other measures to remove truck traffic from the outer boroughs, including a Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, which would remove one million trucks a year from City streets--5.7 million truck traffic miles from the Outer Boroughs by 2025. The tunnel would be built underneath the Hudson River to reconnect New York to the national rail freight network and reduce the flow of trucks into the City, as well as allow better movement of emergency vehicles and buses.
"Staten Island, unlike much of the rest of the City, will not see a great reduction in traffic from Congestion Pricing--especially when it comes to truck traffic," said Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro. "With a Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, Staten Island will be relieved of millions of miles of truck traffic rumbling through our streets."
"Staten Island is already besieged by congestion as millions of cars and trucks rumble through our borough every year, costing local businesses and commuters time and money," said Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President Linda Baran. "Now we face a 13 percent increase in traffic by 2025--an increase that we cannot possibly afford. With a Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, Staten Island and its businesses would be saved from millions of miles a year of traffic on our streets. When it comes to traffic, our borough simply cannot sustain this unfair status quo."
"While the Congestion Pricing Plan will be a historic achievement and effectively mitigate all kinds of traffic moving through every part of the City, the majority of its impact will be felt in Manhattan, not the Outer Boroughs," said David Yassky (D-Brooklyn). "Truck traffic will also need to be addressed with an even stronger mitigation plan if New York is truly going to have a sustainable system of moving goods and people through our neighborhoods for years to come."
"Traffic congestion is a regional problem and requires regional solutions," said Council Member Lew Fidler (D-Brooklyn). "Trucks not only clog our roadways but foul our air to a much greater degree than other vehicles, but since they carry necessary goods, we need to find better alternatives. The Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel is one of them."
According to Environmental Defense, New York City handles about $1.44 trillion worth of freight per year -- everything from food to furniture -- and that amount is expected to increase by 80 percent in the next 20 years. Trucks transport around 80 percent of this freight while rail handles less than 6 percent--a fraction that is two-and-a-half times smaller than the national average. As a result, millions of trucks a year come across City bridges, polluting our air, and choking up our roadways with traffic. At rush hour on the Cross Bronx Expressway, for instance, 60 percent of available road space is taken up with trucks.
The Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel is endorsed by Senators Schumer and Clinton, dozens of other New York elected officials, the Daily News, New York Times and New York Post. The federal government has already approved $100M for the project.
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