New York City launched the nation's first congestion pricing program on January 5, 2025. This session will cover the history of the idea here and in other world cities, the hurdles along the way, and what pushed it over the finish line despite a dozen lawsuits. Sam will present findings on traffic, air quality, transit, economic indicators, and revenue, dig into why entries are down about 10% while speeds have barely moved, and discuss how the plan could be improved.

Topics include:

• This history of congestion pricing in New York City, including previous efforts to reduce car traffic in the city’s most congested areas

• How a policy that looks politically impossible can gather enough support to get implemented

• Impacts from the programs first year and beyond

• The traffic phenomenon of gridlock, where speeds in a street grid approach zero

Sam Schwartz  is chair of the Transportation Research Program at Roosevelt House at Hunter College. He began his career as a New York City cabdriver, joined the Traffic Department as a junior engineer in 1971, and went on to serve as the city's Traffic Commissioner and later as NYC DOT's First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer in the 80s. He founded Sam Schwartz Engineering, and for 20 years wrote the "Gridlock Sam" column for the Daily News. Sam's books, No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future (2018) and Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and The Fall of Cars (2015) lay out a recipe for cities faced with rapid changes in modes, automation, demographic shifts and travelers’ preferences. His first novel, AutoKill, centered about autonomous vehicle technology, was released in August 2026.

When: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM

Where: Jacobs, 1 Pennsylvania Plaza, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10119

Please Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-congestion-pricing-with-sam-schwartz-tickets-1999805694666 

You must be an APA member in good standing to register, as space is limited

**1.5 CM pending**