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Reason Foundation: Successes and Failures of New York City's Cordon Pricing
LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news:
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The successes and failures of New York City's cordon pricing
The evidence to date suggests that congestion pricing has reduced vehicle entries and improved travel speeds in and around Manhattan's central business district.
Raine Cox
Transportation Policy Analyst
October 21, 2026
Despite opposition to tolling and fears that cordon pricing may push traffic onto neighborhood streets, New York City's pricing program shows that charging for road space can reduce traffic congestion at scale and provide
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LOS ANGELES, California, Oct. 21 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news:
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The successes and failures of New York City's cordon pricing
The evidence to date suggests that congestion pricing has reduced vehicle entries and improved travel speeds in and around Manhattan's central business district.
Raine Cox
Transportation Policy Analyst
October 21, 2026
Despite opposition to tolling and fears that cordon pricing may push traffic onto neighborhood streets, New York City's pricing program shows that charging for road space can reduce traffic congestion at scale and providefunding for public transit. While the cordon pricing program has produced some uneven effects across locations and travel modes, traffic speeds have increased within the congestion zone.
New York City's cordon pricing program went into effect on Jan. 5, 2025, with two central goals: Reduce the number of vehicles entering Manhattan's central business district (CBD) and generate a new, statutorily dedicated revenue stream for capital investment in the city's transit system.
After more than a year of operation, evidence is emerging about how well the city's cordon pricing program is meeting those goals.
Before Jan. 2025, drivers did not pay to enter Manhattan's central business district. Today, passenger vehicles with E-ZPass pay $9 to enter the zone during peak periods, with the toll scheduled to rise to $12 in 2028 and $15 in 2031.
Drivers entering Manhattan through the Lincoln or Holland tunnels receive a crossing credit of up to $3, reducing the $9 congestion charge to $6 during peak hours. This charge is in addition to the existing Port Authority tunnel toll.
As of 2026, passenger vehicles with a New York or New Jersey E-ZPass pay $16.79 during peak hours and $14.79 during off-peak hours to enter Manhattan through the Lincoln or Holland tunnels.
Before congestion pricing, the Port Authority toll was the only charge for drivers entering Manhattan from New Jersey through these tunnels.
Between Jan. 5, 2025, and Jan. 4, 2026, roughly 27 million fewer vehicles entered the Congestion Relief Zone south of 60th Street compared with the previous year. A revised National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) analysis found that congestion pricing increased travel speeds within the cordon by approximately 11 percent. The researchers also found speed improvements outside the cordon, particularly on roads frequently used by vehicles traveling toward Manhattan.
In 2026, traffic volumes continued to decline. In May 2026, entries into the Congestion Relief Zone and its excluded roadways were 6.5 percent lower than in May 2025, and year-to-date traffic in 2026 was down 3.5 percent.
But the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) cautioned against attributing that additional decline entirely to congestion pricing, since gasoline prices rose nearly 19 percent over the same period. Reduced congestion has also coincided with faster bus trips, while toll revenues support transit capital investment.
In April 2025, local bus routes operating within the Congestion Relief Zone were 2.2 percent faster than a year earlier, while express routes operating within the zone were 1.7 percent faster.
Effects outside the zone have varied by location. So far, monitoring has not shown a broad shift of traffic onto major roads outside the zone. New York Gov. Hochul's office reported that in the cordon pricing program's first year, total traffic fell 5 percent on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), 7.4 percent on the Cross Bronx Expressway, and 7.1 percent on the Major Deegan Expressway. Roads approaching the zone also generally moved faster, with some of the largest speed improvements on segments used by drivers entering the zone.
Cordon pricing also changed the rideshare market. Uber and Lyft passengers pay a $1.50 congestion toll for trips that begin, end, or pass through the zone, compared with 75 cents for yellow and green taxis. Crucially, that $1.50 charge applies to each passenger even when two or more riders share the same vehicle. A 2026 study estimated that Uber trips fell by up to 6 percent after the charge took effect, while Lyft trips increased 2-5 percent during a temporary rider subsidy. Overall ride-hailing volume declined by only about 0.5-1.5 percent.
The yellow-taxi market, however, has followed a different path. Yellow-taxi trips crossing the congestion zone increased 17 percent from January through September 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. The increase may partly reflect taxis' lower $0.75 congestion fee and arrangements through which platforms such as Uber dispatch trips to yellow taxis via e-hail services including Curb and Arro. Under these partnerships, a rider can request an UberX trip through Uber and be matched with a licensed yellow taxi, while the request is sent to the taxi through its e-hail provider.
The difference between the taxi and ride-hailing charges raises a broader policy question about whether similar uses of road space should face similar prices. A taxi and an Uber or Lyft vehicle occupy approximately the same amount of scarce street capacity, yet their passengers are subject to different congestion charges. Riders have been shown to respond to these differences. Uber trips have declined since the implementation of cordon pricing, and Lyft trips have seen a similar decline after they removed their subsidy to offset the $1.50 charge.
The early results also illustrate why congestion pricing can be preferable to blunt restrictions on driving. Congestion is fundamentally a scarcity problem: during the busiest periods, demand for limited road space exceeds available capacity. Pricing lets travelers decide whether a trip is worth the added cost, rather than relying on mandates or administrative restrictions to reduce traffic. NBER has found that the relationship between traffic volume and congestion is steep enough that modest reductions in vehicle entries produced comparatively large gains in travel speeds.
Thus, New York should distinguish between using congestion pricing to manage scarce road capacity and using it primarily as a revenue-raising mechanism. Those objectives are related but not identical. If policymakers set toll rates largely based on how much revenue they want to generate for transit, the charge can become less connected to the actual congestion cost imposed by an additional vehicle.
A more market-oriented approach would increasingly link toll charges to traffic conditions, allowing prices to rise when road space is especially scarce and fall when congestion eases. If the purpose of congestion pricing is to make travelers account for the congestion costs they impose, the strongest policy would generally apply comparable charges to comparable road use rather than favoring one transportation provider over another. New York's treatment of taxis and app-based rideshare services illustrates why that principle matters in practice.
The evidence to date suggests that congestion pricing has reduced vehicle entries and improved travel speeds in and around Manhattan's central business district, while providing a dedicated source of transit capital funding. Those gains are meaningful, but they should be weighed against higher charges for some travelers and the uneven effects across roadways and travel modes.
New York City's next step should be to treat congestion pricing primarily as a tool for managing scarce road capacity: toll levels should increasingly respond to actual traffic congestion conditions, similar vehicles should face similar charges, and policymakers should clearly disclose how toll revenue is spent. Those reforms would preserve congestion pricing's strongest feature, a market-based price signal that lets travelers make their own decisions, while reducing the risk that the program mainly becomes a way to generate revenue for transit.
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Raine Cox is a transportation policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/the-successes-and-failures-of-new-york-citys-cordon-pricing/
Health Foundation Responds to COVID-19 Inquiry Report on Adult Social Care Sector
LONDON, England, Oct. 21 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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Health Foundation responds to COVID-19 Inquiry report on adult social care sector
20 October 2026
Responding to the COVID-19 Inquiry report on the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector, Tim Gardner, Deputy Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said:
'Module 6 of the COVID 19 Inquiry highlights how the care sector went into the pandemic underfunded, understaffed and undervalued following decades of political neglect. Action to protect people who use and provide social care during
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LONDON, England, Oct. 21 -- The Health Foundation issued the following news release:
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Health Foundation responds to COVID-19 Inquiry report on adult social care sector
20 October 2026
Responding to the COVID-19 Inquiry report on the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector, Tim Gardner, Deputy Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said:
'Module 6 of the COVID 19 Inquiry highlights how the care sector went into the pandemic underfunded, understaffed and undervalued following decades of political neglect. Action to protect people who use and provide social care duringa global pandemic was often too little, too late.
'These policy failings led to real harm. The virus took a grim toll on people in care homes. Others went without access to the care and support they needed or were left socially isolated. And care workers faced impossible pressure delivering care in the face of widespread suffering. The government's claim to have put a 'protective ring' around care homes from the outset of the pandemic was simply not grounded in reality.
'The priorities for policymakers today are little different to before the pandemic - expanding access to care, protecting people from catastrophic costs, better support for unpaid carers and improving working conditions for care workers. The prime minister's commitment to reform social care in England offers a route to finally deliver the fundamental changes the COVID-19 pandemic showed are desperately needed.
'Moving away from the current threadbare safety net will require additional state investment, but the costs of inaction are also immense. A more generous and comprehensive system would improve many lives and better equip the sector for future pandemics.'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/media-office/press-releases/health-foundation-responds-to-covid-19-inquiry-report-on-adult-social-care-sector
Court Upholds State's Review of Juniper Ridge Landfill Expansion
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 20 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Court Upholds State's Review of Juniper Ridge Landfill Expansion
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October 20, 2026 (Portland, ME) - A Penobscot County Superior Court judge has sided with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), allowing the proposed expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill to keep moving forward. The decision leaves DEP's approval in place.
"This ruling is a setback, but it can't bury the truth that the Penobscot Nation and local residents have brought into the open - that this landfill is
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Oct. 20 -- Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Court Upholds State's Review of Juniper Ridge Landfill Expansion
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October 20, 2026 (Portland, ME) - A Penobscot County Superior Court judge has sided with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), allowing the proposed expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill to keep moving forward. The decision leaves DEP's approval in place.
"This ruling is a setback, but it can't bury the truth that the Penobscot Nation and local residents have brought into the open - that this landfill ispart of a broken system that puts polluters' wallets over people's health," said Alex St. Pierre, vice president for environmental justice at CLF. "The knowledge, persistence, and power of these communities have already shifted the conversation - and that momentum will carry forward until justice is served."
The proposed expansion would add roughly 11.9 million cubic yards of capacity to Juniper Ridge, enough to hold the equivalent of 8.6 Empire State Buildings worth of trash. The state-owned landfill, operated by Casella Waste Systems, has long raised concerns about PFAS contamination, air pollution, and the growing burden of waste pollution on the Penobscot Nation and other communities along the Penobscot River.
DEP relied on PFAS treatment as an important safeguard in approving the proposed expansion. Casella has now confirmed plans to move that treatment system to another landfill, located 20 miles away, and seek approval through a separate permitting process. That change raises further questions about how and when PFAS-contaminated wastewater will be treated.
"We have fought pollution, injustice, and decades of harm to heal the Penobscot River, a relative that has sustained our people since time immemorial and continues to sustain communities across Maine," said Kirk E. Francis, Penobscot Nation Tribal Chief. "We are not asking the state to undo generations of harm overnight. We are asking it not to take us backward. Our cultural survival is tied to the health of the Penobscot River, and there is too much at stake to keep adding to the harms it already carries."
The state gave the expansion a second green light in March 2026 after an earlier court ruling ordered DEP to fully consider the combined toll of pollution and other burdens on the Penobscot Nation and communities along the Penobscot River. In its revised decision, DEP acknowledged many of those existing harms but still concluded that the expansion could move forward. The Penobscot Nation and Conservation Law Foundation returned to court, arguing that DEP once again failed to fully account for those harms as the court ordered.
CLF and the Penobscot Nation are reviewing the ruling and evaluating next steps.
Experts are available for further comment.
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Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/court-upholds-states-review-of-juniper-ridge-landfill-expansion/
WLF Urges Supreme Court to Halt Dangerous "Constructive Tying" Antitrust Theory
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Supreme Court to Halt Dangerous "Constructive Tying" Antitrust Theory
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(Washington, DC)--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review of a Second Circuit decision that dramatically expanded Sherman Act liability for businesses engaged in beneficial, consumer welfare-maximizing sales.
The case arises from a federal antitrust suit by Cumulus Media against The Nielsen Company (the radio-and-TV ratings firm). Cumulus wanted to
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Urges Supreme Court to Halt Dangerous "Constructive Tying" Antitrust Theory
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(Washington, DC)--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review of a Second Circuit decision that dramatically expanded Sherman Act liability for businesses engaged in beneficial, consumer welfare-maximizing sales.
The case arises from a federal antitrust suit by Cumulus Media against The Nielsen Company (the radio-and-TV ratings firm). Cumulus wanted tobuy only national radio-broadcast data from Nielsen, while procuring local reports from one of Nielsen's competitors. In contract negotiations, Nielsen offered both national-and-local reports at a steep discount relative to the nationwide report, which could be had at a premium. The Second Circuit deemed this an anti-competitive "constructive tie," likely triggering Sherman Act liability.
WLF's brief explains why that holding is wrong. Ties are a specific antitrust term of art for when two products are offered in a single sale, with no option to buy the items separately. But Nielsen did not do that here; it offered a bundled discount to make buying two things more attractive. As WLF contends in urging review, that is garden-variety business conduct, as anyone who has ever seen an ad for two medium pizzas and a soft drink offered for less than a large cheese pizza well knows. Those kind of offers benefit consumers and recognize customer agency to choose. They should not be vulnerable to antitrust liability under federal law.
REPORT: https://www.wlf.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WLF-Amicus-Brief-Nielsen-v-Cumulus-19oct2026.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2026/10/19/communicating/wlf-urges-supreme-court-to-halt-dangerous-constructive-tying-antitrust-theory/
WLF Asks Fifth Circuit to Reverse Waiver Ruling That Rewards Strategic Pleading Around Arbitration
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Asks Fifth Circuit to Reverse Waiver Ruling That Rewards Strategic Pleading Around Arbitration
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"A nonsignatory cannot waive an arbitration right the plaintiff has not yet conferred."
--Cory Andrews, WLF General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation
WASHINGTON, DC--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to reverse a district-court order holding that Chevron waived its right to arbitrate. In its amicus brief, WLF
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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WLF Asks Fifth Circuit to Reverse Waiver Ruling That Rewards Strategic Pleading Around Arbitration
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"A nonsignatory cannot waive an arbitration right the plaintiff has not yet conferred."
--Cory Andrews, WLF General Counsel & Vice President of Litigation
WASHINGTON, DC--Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to reverse a district-court order holding that Chevron waived its right to arbitrate. In its amicus brief, WLFcontends that the court charged Chevron with waiving a right that did not yet exist and created a template for plaintiffs in future cases to evade arbitration.
The case stems from a Venezuelan oil-services provider's suit against Chevron affiliates for unpaid work. Neither affiliate signed the master agreement that contained the arbitration clause. Servicios mentioned the agreement only in passing for nearly ten months. Only after motions to dismiss did it claim its alleged promise rested on signing that agreement, which prompted Chevron to seek a stay pending arbitration. The district court found waiver based on the complaint's early mentions and Chevron's ordinary litigation responses.
In its amicus brief, WLF argues that a nonsignatory's right to arbitrate arises only when the plaintiff's claim depends on the contract. Until that moment, there is no right to waive. Urging reversal, WLF contends that the decision below rewards strategic pleading, punishes businesses for contracting through subsidiaries, and conflicts with ordinary waiver principles and the Federal Arbitration Act.
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2026/10/19/communicating/wlf-asks-fifth-circuit-to-reverse-waiver-ruling-that-rewards-strategic-pleading-around-arbitration/
Striped Bass See Slight Boost amid Years-Long Struggle in Chesapeake Bay, Annual Survey Says
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Oct. 19 -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation posted the following news release:
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Striped Bass See Slight Boost amid Years-Long Struggle in Chesapeake Bay, Annual Survey Says
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Results Predict How Many Large Fish the Atlantic Coast Can Expect in the Future
Despite a slight bump in numbers compared to last year, the future remains bleak for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, as seen in juvenile striped bass survey results released today. This survey is issued annually by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
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ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Oct. 19 -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation posted the following news release:
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Striped Bass See Slight Boost amid Years-Long Struggle in Chesapeake Bay, Annual Survey Says
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Results Predict How Many Large Fish the Atlantic Coast Can Expect in the Future
Despite a slight bump in numbers compared to last year, the future remains bleak for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, as seen in juvenile striped bass survey results released today. This survey is issued annually by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR),and estimates striped bass's reproductive success and ability to survive early life, giving a glimpse into the population's future.
For the eighth consecutive year in Maryland, young striped bass numbers remain well below the long-term average needed to sustain a healthy population. In Virginia, results ticked up from 2025 but were still similar to the state's historical average. The Virginia increase came after three consecutive years of below-average results.
These results mean not enough young fish are surviving into adulthood, likely due to environmental stressors like warmer water temperatures from climate change, habitat loss, food availability, and invasive predators like blue catfish.
According to the survey, the 2026 juvenile index for Maryland was 5.5 fish per sample. This is slightly higher than last year's index of 4.0, but significantly lower than the state's long-term average of 10.8. In Virginia, the index was 9.52 fish per sample. This is a bump from last year's index of 5.12 and slightly higher than the state's historical average of 7.77. VIMS characterized the 2026 class as an "average" year.
The results from Maryland are especially concerning because Maryland tributaries are where roughly 80 percent of all East Coast striped bass come to spawn. The Bay's annual juvenile survey essentially predicts how many large, adult striped bass the entire coast can expect to see in the future.
Last year, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) neglected a critical opportunity to help the striped bass population recover by rejecting a proposal for tighter regulations. This was after an analysis by ASMFC technical staff determined that striped bass are overfished, and that without additional action, it's unlikely the species will rebuild to their target numbers by 2029.
Instead, the Board formed a Striped Bass Working Group which will identify topics for future management consideration. The Board is scheduled to meet again at ASMFC's annual meeting on November 11 but will not be considering any additional regulatory changes.
Maryland DNR adopted a new striped bass fishing season earlier this year that closed striped bass fishing for the entire month of August. This is when water temperatures are the highest and striped bass are mostly likely to die when caught and released. Similarly, Virginia only allows anglers to target striped bass in the fall through spring.
Striped bass are running out of options. Chesapeake Bay states are doing their part to try and protect this beloved species. Now, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is imploring ASMFC to prioritize a coastwide strategy for striped bass so the species has a shot at rebuilding a sustainable future.
Allison Colden, CBF Maryland Executive Director, issued the following statement:
"Eight consecutive years of poor survey results paints a bleak picture. What happens in the Chesapeake Bay is a prediction for striped bass's future up and down the Atlantic Coast. Roughly 80 percent of the coastwide striped bass population spawn here in the Bay.
"We're encouraged by DNR's recent seasonal adjustments. But striped bass need coastwide commitment and action from ASMFC if we want this beloved fish to have any chance to rebound."
Chris Moore, CBF Virginia Executive Director, issued the following statement:
"Striped bass are clearly still struggling in the Chesapeake Bay. We must act more aggressively if they're to have a future here.
"While any increase is heartening, longer-term trends should be a wake-up call. Many striped bass caught in Virginia start their lives in Maryland. An average year here doesn't mean it's time to become complacent. Now is the time for coastwide action from ASMFC."
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Original text here: https://www.cbf.org/news/striped-bass-see-slight-boost-amid-years-long-struggle-in-chesapeake-bay-annual-survey-says/
OMRF's biggest annual fundraiser tops $1 million for biomedical research
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 19 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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OMRF's biggest annual fundraiser tops $1 million for biomedical research
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The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation raised more than $1 million this week from a golf tournament and a concert. Proceeds will support medical research at the Oklahoma City nonprofit.
A wine and food festival accompanied Sunday's performance by the Spinners as the first part of the foundation's annual "241" fundraiser - two events for one great cause. The band performed from their catalog of 1970s hits,
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Oct. 19 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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OMRF's biggest annual fundraiser tops $1 million for biomedical research
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The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation raised more than $1 million this week from a golf tournament and a concert. Proceeds will support medical research at the Oklahoma City nonprofit.
A wine and food festival accompanied Sunday's performance by the Spinners as the first part of the foundation's annual "241" fundraiser - two events for one great cause. The band performed from their catalog of 1970s hits,including "The Rubberband Man," "I'll Be Around" and "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love."
A golf tournament Monday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa concluded the fundraiser.
This was OMRF's 13th year to hold the benefit. In total, the 241 events have raised more than $9 million to help fund research projects for cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and diseases of aging. This year's total of $1.01 million represented a new record.
"We are fortunate to have so many great people and organizations in our corner," said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. "Our donors' generosity helps people live longer, healthier lives."
This year, the fundraiser had 155 sponsors. Sponsorship chairs were Debby Hampton and Ed Martin.
"Considering its impact on the local community and the scientific community at large, OMRF is an easy organization to champion," Hampton said. "I've been attending 241 for the past few years, and it's such a great event that I was happy to take a leadership role this year."
Lead event sponsors included the Chickasaw Nation; Helen Marie Lewis Medical Research Foundation; Tyler Media Group; American Fidelity Foundation; Chisholm Trail Broadcasting; Continental Resources; Virginia Groendyke; Hardesty Family Foundation; Gay & Ed Kirby; Presbyterian Health Foundation; Ronnie Rosenfeld; and Glenna & Dick Tanenbaum.
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/omrfs-biggest-annual-fundraiser-tops-1-million-for-biomedical-research/
