Report: NYC Transit Accessibility Depends on Congestion Pricing Revenue

The ability of the MTA to complete its accessibility upgrades relies on funding from the upcoming congestion pricing program.

1 minute read

January 25, 2024, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Blurred NYC subway train passing by empty platform with yellow strip.

Natalia Bratslavsky / Adobe Stock

The full accessibility of New York City’s transit system hinges on revenue from the city’s upcoming congestion pricing scheme, according to a report from the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation which “finds the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ability to deliver the remaining accessible stations hinges on the $15 billion in capital funding to be generated from the Central Business District Tolling Program.”

The congestion pricing program, years in the making, will charge drivers who enter a designated area of Manhattan, with prices higher during peak hours to encourage off-peak driving. Revenue from the program is a key component of the funding needed to make New York’s transit stations fully accessible and is expected to bring in roughly $15 million.

According to the report, “Accessing the public transit system can present challenges for the 13% of New Yorkers with physical disabilities. Currently 30% of subway stations have elevators or ramps, significantly limiting services for those with ambulatory disabilities and other access needs.”

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 in NYU Rudin Center for Transportation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

5 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

7 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine