Just 4% of employed NYC outer-borough residents commute to jobs in Manhattan

by vehicle and could be subject to a congestion fee.

How outer-borough residents get to where they work.

Other modes (Manhattan)

MTA mass transit (other destinations) Other modes (other destinations)

Incomes of outer-borough workers traveling
to jobs in Manhattan by vehicle.
1% Vehicle (Manhattan)
60%
25% 11% 55%
4% 50%

40%

30% 28%
29%
31%
20%
12%
10%
4%
0%
Vehicle (other destinations) Poor Near Moderate Higher
MTA mass transit (Manhattan) Poor Income Income

See Notes page for more information on income ranges, commuter category definitions and other data
limitations that impact our estimates of outer-borough workers who are potentially subject to a congestion fee. www.cssny.org/fairfares
An even smaller share2%of NYCs outer-borough working poor could be subject
to a congestion fee.

How poor outer-borough residents get to where they work.

Other modes (Manhattan) Other modes (other destinations)

1%
Vehicle (Manhattan)
20% 2%
MTA mass transit (other destinations)

33%
19%

Vehicle (other destinations)

25%

MTA mass transit (Manhattan)

See Notes page for more information on income ranges, commuter category definitions and other data
limitations that impact our estimates of outer-borough workers who are potentially subject to a congestion fee. www.cssny.org/fairfares
18 times more NYC commuters would gain from transit improvements than would likely pay new tolls.
More dramatically, the working poor would benefit by a margin of 38 to 1 from congestion pricing that
funds both transit upgrades and Fair Fares discounts for low-income riders.

Who gains from improved public transit and

Who potentially pays congestions tolls? half-fare MetroCards for the working poor?

Outer-borough residents (drivers and passengers)

who rely on vehicles for their commute to work 118,000 2,169,000 Residents citywide who rely on public
transit for their commute to work

including including

Working poor NYC residents who would also

Working poor 5,000 190,000 be eligible for a half-price MetroCard
(Excludes seniors already eligible for half-fare)

Working poor
Working poor who would who would benefit
potentially pay congestion tolls from better and
more affordable
transit

See Notes page for more information on income ranges, commuter category definitions and other data
limitations that impact our estimates of outer-borough workers who are potentially subject to a congestion fee. www.cssny.org/fairfares
Notes: Assumptions and Limitations

1. Various congestion pricing proposals are under consideration. These include Move NYs plan, which would impose a toll or sur-
charge on vehicles crossing Manhattans four East River bridges as well as those driving into the Central Business District (defined
by Move NY as below 60th street in Manhattan). The dataset used for this analysis, the 2011-15 American Community Survey
Five-year Estimates (accessed from IPUMS-USA, University of Minnesota), did not allow us to distinguish between working resi-
dents commuting into the Central Business District (CBD) and those traveling to jobs in Manhattan outside of the CBD. Therefore,
our analysis is based on a congestion pricing plan that would impose tolls or surcharges on motor vehicles entering any part of
Manhattan (see fourth note on vehicles types covered).
2. Income categories are based on the ratio of family or unrelated individual income to federal poverty thresholds used by the US
Census Bureau that vary by family size and composition. For example, in 2015, the federal poverty threshold for a family with two
adults and two children was $24,036; families with household incomes below the federal poverty threshold are considered poor,
between 100% and 200% are considered near poor, between 200% and 400% moderate income, and above 400% high income.
3. The ACS data only accounts for working New York City residents aged 16 and up. The dataset does not enable us to determine the
number of residents who enter the CBD for non-work reasons.
4. The category of vehicle commuters includes workers who drive alone in cars, trucks or vans, use a motorcycle; or commute as
passengers in carpools and taxis.
5. The other modes category includes working outer-borough residents who bike, walk, take the ferry or work from home.
6. The available data presents two limitations that contribute to an overestimate of outer-borough workers who are potentially subject
to a congestion fee. First, the ACS only identifies workers who commute into Manhattan, it does not identify the workers who
commute into Manhattan outside of the CBD. Second, the ACS data does not enable us to exclude workers entering the CBD via the
already tolled Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn Battery Tunnels who would not be subject to additional tolls.
7. In contrast, a third data limitation works in the opposite direction, contributing to an underestimate of the number of outer-borough
workers potentially subject to a congestion fee. The ACS does not identify the number of outer-borough workers who drive through
the CBD on their way to job destinations elsewhere (e.g. such as someone driving from Brooklyn or Queens to Jersey City or north-
ern Manhattan).
8. For a more detailed analysis of all trips through the CBD, trips into and through the CBD for non-work reasons, and the number of
vehicles entering the CBD through the East River tunnels, please refer to the BTA (Balanced Transportation Analyzer) model pre-
pared by Charles Komanoff (Accessible via: http://www.nnyn.org/kheelplan/BTA_1.1.xls).

www.cssny.org/fairfares