Gov. Hochul’s decision to pause the implementation of congestion pricing last month has put the plan to unclog NYC’s streets — and the promise of billions of dollars to modernize our transit system — on life support. However, traffic congestion itself is thriving.

Following a pandemic dip, car and truck traffic in the city is back and setting new records . City drivers spent more than 100 hours sitting in traffic jams in 2023 and travel speeds in the city are slower than they’ve ever been . The effects of congestion are serious; it’s not just lost time.

Pollution from traffic contributes to hundreds of premature deaths and emergency room visits and hospitalizations each year. The psychiatric and physical toll of air and noise pollution is real. And 10 years after NYC pledged to pursue Vision Zero, our congestion crisis means that too many New Yorkers — car drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians — are still dying from vehicle collisions.

Traffic congestion is also choking our local businesses to the tune of $20 billion each year, according to the Partnership for New York City. With congestion pricing on pause, it is time to envision a new plan to deal with congestion and all of the problems it causes. Because I don’t think that anyone, including New Yorkers who commute by car every day, want to spend time in a city that forces people to endure hours-long traffic jams.

If we squint just hard enough, we can see an alternative to our congested reality starting to .