How bad is commuting in New York City? In a recent New York Daily News op-ed, two members of the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Traffic Mobility Review Board wrote that it’s the longest of any U.S. city.
Board Chair Carl Weisbrod and board member Kathryn Wylde published the op-ed March 3. It was headlined, “Now’s the time for congestion pricing,” and was published as the nation’s first congestion pricing zone was being planned for a portion of Manhattan, following more than two decades of public debate.
Critics are seeking to stop the program, which charges motorists for using high-traffic zones. Advocates say it will generate $15 billion in revenue over five years, earmarked for maintaining and expanding the region’s mass transit system.
“At least 85% of regular commuters to Manhattan use public transit, so those impacted by the congestion toll constitute a small minority,” Weisbrod and Wylde wrote. “For the most part, these are people who can afford garage parking at prices that dwarf the proposed daily charge of $15.”
Critics say the new charges will burden businesses by raising operational costs, which could be passed on to consumers . But the authors argued that new solutions are necessary because “traffic in the region has only gotten worse. The average commute time for people who drive to work in the city is 43 minutes, the longest in the nation.”
Is that correct? Basically, though the data varies.
What is congestion pricing?
By levying fees on motorists in crowded parts of cities, congestion pricing aims to reduce the number of vehicles on the road at one time, especially during peak hours. This system, which aims to make traffic flow more efficiently, is already used in London, Singapore and Stockholm.
Congestion pricing advocates say this system is cheaper than adding new lanes, which the Federal Highway Administration says can cost up to $10 million per lane mile and can take years to create.
Congestion pricing encourages motorists to avoid busy routes during rush hours or the use carpools and public transit. Meanwhile, it collects revenue from people who drive congested roads that can go toward maintaining and upgrading transportation infrastructure.
How does New York commuting compare?
Weisbrod told PolitiFact that his data came from Geotab, an Oakville, Ontario, transportation analytics company.
Geotab found that New York City had the U.S.’ highest overall commute time, 43 minutes on average. Washington, D.C., ranked second with 41 minutes; Boston was third at 40 minutes.
However, for car commutes specifically, the ranking was slightly different. For car commutes, Washington ranked first at 41 minutes, while Boston and New York were tied for second, each with 40 minutes.
For transit commutes, which are commutes by public transit such as buses and trains, New York ranked in a five-way tie for second, after first-ranking Los Angeles, with 54 minutes. New York had an average of 53 minutes, equal to Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit and Orlando, Florida.
So Weisbrod and Wylde were slightly off: For car commutes, New York ranked second, not first.
Geotab last produced a study covering 2012 to 2016, making the data about a decade old. We searched for newer data and found that one credible analysis continues to place New York City first.
In 2019 data published in 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau found that New York City placed first for commuting time nationally among major metropolitan areas, at 37.7 minutes.
Our ruling
Weisbrod and Wylde said, “The average commute time for people who drive to work in (New York City) is 43 minutes, the longest in the nation.”
A study by Geotab, a Canada-based transportation analytics company, found that New York City has the U.S.’ highest average commute times, though its car commute time placed New York City second.
Geotab’s data covers 2012 to 2016, making it roughly a decade old. Newer data from the U.S. Census Bureau found New York City first among major metropolitan areas for longest commute times, at 37.7 minutes.
We rate the statement Mostly True.