Memorandum

To:	NYC Citizens
From:	Brandon Saeteros, Shakin Sarwar, Idalis Soto
Date:	June 12 2026
Subject:	NYC Sustainability and the MTA

The purpose of this memo considers the success of NYC’s efforts for sustainability, specifically in regards to the reduction of car pollution, and how further allocation of a taskforce and budget, with consideration of New Yorker’s wants, is reasonable.

SUMMARY

New York City is working to reduce pollution and improve sustainability by encouraging its residents to use public transportation instead of driving. Though congestion pricing has helped lower traffic, more improvements to the subway system can be made to make it more attractive for NYC residents. One improvement would be to incorporate cellular service throughout the subway train system. A reliable cellular connection will allow riders to stay connected to work, communication, and emergencies when traveling underground. By improving the convenience and accessibility of public transportation, our governments can convince more residents to choose the subway or driving, leading to the reduction of traffic and pollution throughout the city.

DISCUSSION

A New York Times study has shown that there is a correlation between the start of congestion pricing in 2025 and several changes in traffic, what vehicles people are using to commute, and even the quality of life. It has been reported that there are about 27 million fewer car trips in the central business district compared to the previous year, as well as a decrease in commute times due to the faster traffic. The most notable area of change is in the Holland Tunnel, in which morning commutes are estimated to be about 50% faster; in contrast, the smallest change was the commute time on the Manhattan Bridge, which only got roughly 6.7% faster. While the range of effects of congestion pricing varies, it’s clear that it seems to have a general reduction in commuting time. Another correlation between the congestion price and NYC commuting is the increase in public transit riders. There has been a noted 2.4% and 2% increase in regular and express buses, respectively, in congestion zone areas; it can be inferred that the price of commuting by car could be a reason New Yorkers sought public transportation as an affordable alternative.

While this reduction in car traffic, thanks to congestion pricing, has reduced air pollution, further work can and has been done to persuade people to commute with public transportation, which is more environmentally efficient than cars. Funding the MTA is vital in not pushing away potential riders. According to a 2019 study, it was reported that there was a notable underfunding of the MTA, the majority of funds shown were allocated to signals and communications, while 23.6% of their funds is unaccounted for; this is worse considering that “signals and communications still face[d] a funding gap of just under $1 billion” (Shaviro, Charles, et al., 2019). By funding the MTA, shortcomings such as aging train cars, faulty schedules, and uncomfortable passenger stations would be reduced, creating a better commuting experience that people would have less qualms about taking. Additionally, the MTA has long worked with Boldyn to provide 5G connection in the subway. For example, the 42nd Street shuttle tunnel back in 2024. Having access to cell service and the internet means access to calling loved ones, checking on potential train delays, or simply passing the time; all of which encourage continued riding. This, however, was a $600M deal; this doesn’t come cheap.

RECOMMENDATION

There is clearly an effort made by the city to reduce car traffic, thus reducing the air pollution made by said cars. However, for some New Yorkers, commuting by car may still be more accessible than public transportation. But, by helping to make the subway and bus riding experience faster, cleaner, and available to more areas, the reduction of car traffic could potentially be reduced even further. Therefore, we would recommend that NYC offices further research the addition of cellular services to subway systems. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this in better detail.

Works Cited

Badger, Emily, et al. “Congestion Pricing after One Year: How Life Has Changed. – The New York Times.” The New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/05/upshot/congestion-pricing-one-year.html. 

This article contains the impacts of congestion pricing, a fee that was added that discouraged car traffic in roads like the FDR. It also had the effect of encouraging using the subway as an alternative transportation without that extra fee, which happens to be more environmentally efficient as well. The article notably includes people’s feelings regarding the change.

MTA. “MTA Announces 5G Wireless Connectivity Now Live in 42 St Shuttle Tunnel.” MTA, 4 Sept. 2024, www.mta.info/press-release/mta-announces-5g-wireless-connectivity-now-live-42-st-shuttle-tunnel. 

This press release from the MTA themselves highlights the efforts they made to add 5G cellular service to the 42nd street shuttle. It notably includes details of the budget that went into this and the estimated benefit to subway riders.

Shaviro, Charles, et al., editors. CAUTION AHEAD: FIVE YEARS LATER. Center for an Urban Future, 2019. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/stable/resrep21703. Accessed 11 June 2026.

This report examines NYC in regards to its various programs. Notably including public transportation. It also includes a significant number of charts and data analysis. There’s a section dedicated to talking about the sustainability of these infrastructure.

Contributions

Topic Supervisor (Idalis Soto): I suggested potential ideas for what we could write the memo about and narrowed down on the topic we chose. I also did some drafting, editing, and formatting.

Submission Manager (Brandon Saeteros): I was responsible for writing the summary paragraph and revising the other sections of the memo by adding l details to them if needed. Also compiling the information into a concise format, ensuring that the memo format and structure were met.

Research Director (Shakin Sarwar): I considered our topic, and thought of my past experiences to come up with rough points to support our topic with. Then I researched some concrete sources, requiring us to develop our topic to properly include them.

AI TRANSPARENCY:

I used ChatGPT for the alternatives of the cellular service idea in the entire train system and found that Boldyn Networks already had the technology created.