Stop government-created traffic in NYC
The Issue
STOP GOVERNMENT-CREATED TRAFFIC
As a daily commuter to the Bronx, I spend about 4 hours a day on New York roads. In my experience, at least 85% of the traffic I sit in has nothing to do with accidents. I haven't seen a major accident causing traffic in months, yet every single day I lose an hour or more each way because of unnecessary lane closures and poor planning.
New York made drivers pay congestion tolls because they said it would reduce traffic. Everyone can see that traffic is the same or worse, yet they never took the tolls away. When it comes to taking another dollar out of our pockets, they don't hesitate. But when it comes to spending a dollar to pay overtime and do non-emergency work overnight, suddenly there's no money and millions of New Yorkers are expected to suffer.
Recently, they shut down lanes on the FDR Drive at 11:00 a.m. to clean a highway that wasn't even dirty. That is unacceptable.
This isn't just about inconvenience. More traffic means more pollution, more wasted fuel, more parents missing time with their children, and more stress. It can even become a matter of life and death when someone is trying to get to the hospital and emergency vehicles can't get through.
My solution is simple: any non-emergency closure of a major highway should require approval from a judge or independent authority. Emergencies like accidents, dangerous potholes, or anything that puts people at immediate risk should be handled right away. But if it's cleaning, fixing signs, routine maintenance, or anything that can wait until the middle of the night, it should be done overnight.
There should also be an easy way for New Yorkers to report unnecessary highway closures in real time. If major roads are being blocked during the day for non-emergency work—like cleaning a highway at 11:00 a.m.—the public should be able to submit photos and complaints that are reviewed by an independent agency.
New Yorkers' time matters too.
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The Issue
STOP GOVERNMENT-CREATED TRAFFIC
As a daily commuter to the Bronx, I spend about 4 hours a day on New York roads. In my experience, at least 85% of the traffic I sit in has nothing to do with accidents. I haven't seen a major accident causing traffic in months, yet every single day I lose an hour or more each way because of unnecessary lane closures and poor planning.
New York made drivers pay congestion tolls because they said it would reduce traffic. Everyone can see that traffic is the same or worse, yet they never took the tolls away. When it comes to taking another dollar out of our pockets, they don't hesitate. But when it comes to spending a dollar to pay overtime and do non-emergency work overnight, suddenly there's no money and millions of New Yorkers are expected to suffer.
Recently, they shut down lanes on the FDR Drive at 11:00 a.m. to clean a highway that wasn't even dirty. That is unacceptable.
This isn't just about inconvenience. More traffic means more pollution, more wasted fuel, more parents missing time with their children, and more stress. It can even become a matter of life and death when someone is trying to get to the hospital and emergency vehicles can't get through.
My solution is simple: any non-emergency closure of a major highway should require approval from a judge or independent authority. Emergencies like accidents, dangerous potholes, or anything that puts people at immediate risk should be handled right away. But if it's cleaning, fixing signs, routine maintenance, or anything that can wait until the middle of the night, it should be done overnight.
There should also be an easy way for New Yorkers to report unnecessary highway closures in real time. If major roads are being blocked during the day for non-emergency work—like cleaning a highway at 11:00 a.m.—the public should be able to submit photos and complaints that are reviewed by an independent agency.
New Yorkers' time matters too.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on June 10, 2026