Drivers and other travelers navigate an intersection near Haymarket Station in Boston. (Photo by Andy Metzger)

THE PANDEMIC MIGHT be over, but Boston continues to struggle with the fallout of its challenges, ranging from high inflation to reduced foot traffic and occupancy rates in downtown. Adding to these challenges, the city has also seen a return of traffic congestion in our neighborhoods and a host of transportation issues, accompanied by problems with an aging MBTA infrastructure.

As municipal officials search for new ways to make our city a better place, one idea that has been raised to address traffic and transportation-related challenges is congestion pricing. Congestion pricing is an additional fee or tax imposed on drivers in certain high traffic parts of the city during peak-traffic times of the day, aimed at diverting and reducing traffic.

There are different forms of congestion pricing, and these aim to improve the efficiency of our roads, lower carbon emissions, reduce air pollution, and encourage use of public transit or alternative modes of transport, with the tax levied reinvested into the local public transit system. New York City, home to 8.4 million people, is on the verge of becoming the first city in the nation to launch a congestion pricing plan as soon as this spring, although not without fierce contention.

The Boston City Council is currently exploring congestion pricing to combat some of the worst rush-hour traffic in the country, and while this is well-intentioned, there are many reasons why congestion pricing will have a negative impact on Boston. It will further burden middle-class families, disproportionately impact communities of color, and further strain a struggling public transportation system. We also need to consider the wider economic context that is facing Boston, including the projected impact of downtown vacancies.

Many of our middle-class families are already facing headwinds from inflation. Nearly three-quarters of families report earnings are coming up short relative to the cost of living, as gas and food prices remain stubbornly high. With inflation having put a strain on family budgets following the pandemic, it would be unfair to make commuting even more expensive for those already struggling to make financial ends meet. 

Congestion pricing would also have a disproportionate impact on low-income workers and communities of color. Without late night train service, and with limited bus schedules and often unreliable service, such workers often have no choice but to drive into Boston. With the price of goods still high, we would be burdening a community that already struggles on the poverty line.

The reality is many of our commuters are our hotel workers, janitors, nurses, doctors, health care staff, teachers, laborers, contractors, administrators, and small business owners who live in areas with limited public transit options and drive in from the Greater Boston area to service our community. We should not make it harder for them to provide essential services for us.

Furthermore, as drivers attempt to avoid the congestion charge, we would also negatively impact surrounding neighborhoods and communities that live along the routes of these congestion zones as they face an increase in traffic and air pollution.

When our city is already facing staffing shortages in our public safety, traffic enforcement, and emergency response teams due to the residency requirement and unaffordable housing market, it is not hard to imagine the added labor and skills shortages we would face if we burden commuters who drive into our city daily to provide services.

Moreover, the Greater Boston transportation system, as it stands, is ill-equipped to permanently draw commuters out of their cars and onto trains and buses.   Commuters avoid the troubled MBTA because of long delays, unreliable schedules and public safety issues.

Data show that MBTA ridership remains down, clocking in at 64 percent of pre-pandemic levels, but 95 percent of Massachusetts drivers are back on the roads, with some 750,000 people commuting into the city on a daily basis. If congestion tolling forces people off the roads, our already fragile public transit system is unlikely to perform effectively, creating even more economic uncertainty. 

Finally, we also need to consider the wider context that is facing Boston, with current downtown office vacancies at 20 percent and projected annual municipal revenue shortfalls of $400 million to $500 million in the medium term. With these alarming statistics, we need to cautiously consider how congestion pricing would impact those who live in the Greater Boston area who drive and commute into Boston regularly who contribute to our Downtown economy.

When we look at the handful of cities that have implemented congestion pricing, the results present a mixed picture. London, which established congestion pricing in 2003, remains congested and 66 percent of residents oppose to enlarging the congestion pricing zone to a broader part of the city. According to the New York Times, London initially saw success when it established a congestion zone two decades ago, but the success waned over the long-term as traffic slowly trickled back with taxis, rideshares, frequent truck deliveries due to the rise of online shopping, and the addition of bus and bike lanes. London also has a robust public transportation system and a subway network that efficiently service Greater London.

The rise of the rideshare industry has also played a role in the increase in traffic in Boston. From hearings that I held in the City Council in 2020, there were 42 million rides in 2018 and 115,000 rideshare trips per day in the city at that time. Moreover, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council estimated that 59 percent of all ridesharing trips were adding additional vehicles on our region’s streets.

While the industry was hit by the pandemic, rideshares are back on the rise. In 2021, 18.3 million rides originated from Boston, a 15 percent increase from 2020. These rideshare vehicles from all over the region are putting more cars on our roads and exacerbating our issues with traffic.      

As municipal officials, we have a responsibility to address the traffic nightmare in and around our state capital. Bostonians sit in the fourth-worst traffic in the world, and too many people spend precious hours of their day in the parking lot that is I-93. In order to cut down on commute times and reduce emissions, instead of levying a fee on our drivers, it is critical that we invest in a more reliable public transportation system.

We have the oldest subway system in the country. In order to get it back to a state of good operation, we will need to invest significantly in updating its infrastructure and ensure its regular maintenance. The subway system should be an invaluable asset to our region, and with the right investments and upgrades, it can be, moving the greatest number of people in the most emission-friendly way without clogging up our roads. Increasing bus routes and frequencies would also be another way to incentivize people to take public transit instead of driving their cars.

Moving forward, it is critical that public officials focus on innovative solutions that balance the needs to relieve traffic and protect the environment with an approach that will not further burden our downtown and vibrant economy.

Ed Flynn is a Boston city councilor representing District 2, which includes downtown, South Boston, the South End, Chinatown, Fort Point, Bay Village, and parts of Beacon Hill and Back Bay.