Traffic Good, Congestion Pricing Bad [Patreon Preview]
The Climate Denier's Playbook
Trains, Tolls, and Transportation Tales
This chapter humorously investigates the sounds of public transit while delving into the complexities of congestion pricing. It combines entertaining anecdotes with insights from a transportation economist, revealing the impact of tolls on urban mobility and the statistics behind commuter choices.
Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is my god-given right as an American.
Listen to the full episode on our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/deniersplaybook)
TELL GOV. HOCHUL TO FIGHT FOR CONGESTION PRICING (if you live in New York state): +1 (518) 474-8390 or https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
SAMPLE SCRIPT: I’m a New York state resident and I am reaching out to urge Gov. Hochul to continue supporting New York City’s Congestion Pricing plan and fight against the federal government’s insane attempts to shut it down. This policy has already decreased traffic congestion, reduced travel times for people of all income brackets traveling into the city, increased business-friendly foot traffic in the city, and raised much needed revenues to improve our public transportation system. We cannot allow the federal government to bully our state into reversing a popular and effective policy, and I ask that you continue doing everything in your power to make sure the policy remains in effect. Thank you.
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DISCLAIMER: Some media clips have been edited for length and clarity.
CREDITS
- Created by: Rollie Williams, Nicole Conlan & Ben Boult
- Hosts: Rollie Williams & Nicole Conlan
- Executive Producer: Ben Boult
- Editors: Laura Conte & Ben Boult
- Producers: Daniella Philipson
- Fact Checking: Carly Rizzuto
- Music: Tony Domenick
- Art: Jordan Doll
- Special Thanks: The Civil Liberties Defense Center, Charles Komanoff, Jon Orcutt & Matt Nelsen
SOURCES
- AP Archives. (2017, May 28). Cuomo: Penn Station 'Summer of Hell' Coming. YouTube.
- Badstuber, N. (2018, March 2). London congestion charge: what worked, what didn’t, what next. The Conversation.
- Balanced Transportation Analyzer. (n.d.). The Nurture Nature Foundation.
- Bauman, A. (2024, June 25). Does congestion pricing work in London? It depends on who you talk to. CBS News.
- Bloomberg Television. (2024, June 5). New York Governor’s Kathy Hochul Halts Congestion Pricing in NYC [Short]. YouTube.
- Bonanos, C. (2025, April 15). How Well Is Congestion Pricing Doing? Very. Curbed.
- Bridges and Tunnels tolls by vehicle. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
- Capital Plan 2025-2029: The Future Rides with Us. (2025). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
- Carrns, A. (2023, September 22). The Rising Costs of Owning a Car. The New York Times.
- CBS6 Albany. (2025, February 19). Gov. Hochul on Protecting Congestion Pricing | Full Presser. YouTube.
- CBS News. (2024, November 14). New York City to start congestion pricing in January at $9, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces. YouTube.
- CBS News. (2025, February 20). Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says FAA cuts won't affect flight safety. YouTube.
- Central London Congestion Charging: Impacts monitoring fourth annual report. (2006, June). Transport of London.
- Chen, S., & Hu, W. (2025, February 24). Congestion Pricing Reduced Traffic. Now It’s Hitting Revenue Goals.. The New York Times.
- Chi'en, A., & Flanagan, J. (2025, April 21). Feds issue new deadline for New York to shut down congestion pricing gantries. Fox 5 New York.
- Colon, D. (2025, February 5). The Explainer: What To Know About The MTA’s New Congestion Pricing-Backed Debt. Streetsblog NYC.
- Colon, D. (2025, February 27). Memo to the President: Manhattan Economy Improving, Thanks to Congestion Pricing. Streetsblog NYC.
- Congestion Pricing: CSS Analysis. (n.d.). Community Service Society.
- Congestion Relief Zone toll rate calculator. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
- Duffy, S. P. (2025, February 19). DOT letter to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul. Department of Transportation.
- Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Gov. Kathy Hochul responds to Trump administration pulling NYC congestion pricing approval. YouTube.
- Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Trump administration terminates New York City's congestion pricing approval. YouTube.
- First congestion fines to go out. (2003, February 18). BBC News.
- Fitzsimmons, E., & McGeehan, P. (2017, May 23). Cuomo Steps Into Transit Fray With Ideas for After ‘Summer of Hell’. The New York Times.
- Fix NYC Advisory Panel. (2018, January). Fix NYC Advisory Panel Report.
- Fox News. (2025, February 20). NY gov melts down after Trump ends congestion pricing. YouTube.
- Goldbaum, C., & Fitzsimmons, E. (2020, January 23). Andy Byford Resigns as New York City’s Subway Chief. The New York Times.
- Governor Kathy Hochul. (2023, December 5). Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Congestion Pricing Rally. YouTube.
- Grabar, H. (2025, February 20). Revenge of the Bridge-and-Tunnel President. Slate.
- Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2024, November 14). What to Know About Congestion Pricing. The New York Times.
- Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2025, January 5). New York City Welcomes Congestion Pricing With Fanfare and Complaints. The New York Times.
- Hu, W., Ley, A., Castle, S., & Anderson, C. (2023, December 2). Congestion Pricing’s Impact on New York? These 3 Cities Offer a Glimpse. The New York Times.
- Irish Republican Army: Timeline. (2019, May 15). HISTORY, A&E Television Networks.
- Katersky, A., & Charalambous, P. (2025, April 24). DOJ accidentally files document outlining flaws with Trump administration's plan to kill NYC congestion pricing. ABC News.
- Khalifeh, R., & Nessen S. (2025, April 21). Feds threaten NYC highway money if MTA doesn't shut down congestion pricing. Gothamist.
- Komanoff, C. (2017, December 14). London Traffic Would Be At Least 20 Percent Slower Without Congestion Pricing.
- Komanoff, C. (2024, June 11). Hochul Murder Mystery. The Washington Spectator.
- Komanoff, C. (2025, February 19). Defending Congestion Pricing. The Washington Spectator.
- Lanza, A. J. (2014, February 6). Lanza Announce Relief for Staten Island Toll Payers. The New York State Senate.
- Lew, I., Chatterjee, D., & Torres, E. (2022, March 14). What Does Congestion Pricing Mean for Outer-Borough New Yorkers in Poverty?. Community Service Society.
- Ley, A. (2024, August 8). 7 Years After ‘Summer of Hell,’ the Subway Is Approaching Another Crisis. The New York Times.
- Ley, A., Chen, S., Hu, W., & Oreskes, B. (2025, February 19). Trump Administration Moves to End New York’s Congestion Pricing Tolls. The New York Times.
- Manville, M. (2019). Longer View: The Fairness of Congestion Pricing. Transfers Magazine.
- Meyer, D. (2025, March 3). Four Reminders of Andrew Cuomo’s Disastrous Record on City Transportation. Streetsblog NYC.
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority et al v. Duffy et al. (2025, February 19).
- Miner, P., Smith, B. M., Jani, A., McNeill, G., & Gathorne-Hardy, A. (2024.). Car harm: A global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment. Journal of Transport Geography, 115, 103817.
- Moye, B. (2023, August 30). Annual New Car Ownership Costs Boil Over $12K.
- MTA Annual Disclosure Statement Update (2021 ADS First Quarterly Update). (2021, August 3). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
- MTA Releases Revenue From Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Showing Program in Line With Projections. (2025, February 24). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
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