STATEMENT

by Kathryn S. Wylde, President and CEO
PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW YORK CITY

New York, New York
January 31, 2008

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Statement From Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City on Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission's Report

“The Partnership for New York City supports the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission’s recommended plan, with a pricing zone that focuses on the Manhattan central business districts. Two thirds of the region's economic output is generated from the 8.5 square miles of Manhattan south of 60th Street.  The Partnership found in its 2006 report, Growth or Gridlock, that vehicles going to and from this economic hub generate the excess traffic congestion that causes over $13 billion in annual costs and revenue losses to people and businesses across the entire region. Manhattan is the traffic magnet that results in peak period jams on the LIE, the Gowanus, the Van Wyck, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Major Deegan as well as all the local streets and crossings that feed these major routes. The density of economic activity in Manhattan is the source of the problem and only by managing vehicle access to this commercial hub will we succeed in dealing with the traffic issues that it causes for the five boroughs and surrounding counties.”

The Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org) is a network of business leaders dedicated to enhancing the economy of the five boroughs of New York City and maintaining the city’s position as the center of world commerce, finance and innovation.