Summary
New York City has become the first U.S. city to implement a congestion charge, with car drivers paying up to $9 daily to enter areas south of Central Park.
The scheme aims to reduce traffic and fund public transport but has faced opposition, including from Donald Trump, who has vowed to overturn it.
Fees vary by vehicle type, with trucks and buses paying higher rates.
Despite legal challenges, the initiative moves forward as New York remains the world’s most congested urban area, with peak traffic speeds averaging just 11 mph.
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This is great. People complaining on social media aren’t New Yorkers. We have the best mass transit in the nation. Fuck cars. What we want are more bike and footpaths and less time at the crosswalk.
Best in the nation does not mean it is good. A great deal of NYC is not sufficiently covered
The fee is only for downtown Manhattan. Literally every subway line in Manhattan runs through downtown.
But not all parts of nyc are covered by a subway (outer queens, parts of eastern brooklyn, most of staten island [arguably all of it]). NJ isnt covered at all except for PATH, which is limited. If you live in nyc and work in new jersey, this is a new tax (either in time or money). If you live in parts of nyc that are a two fare zone, this is a new burden as well.
All subway upgrades this century so far have been centered in new stations in manhattan, which is already densely covered; train lines need to be added and extended to all parts of the city that dont have coverage whatsoever.
I agree it’s great but NYers are definitely complaining
Sure. This sucks for hedge fund managers from Scarsdale who can afford to pay to get into the financial district.
The rest of us take the subway, bus, or Metro North.
I would not want to drive in New York.
Kansas City is nowhere near as dense as NYC, but I still get frustrated driving downtown around there, especially if there’s construction.
If you live in an RV or truck, you’re screwed. But then if you drive a huge truck to deliver stuff, your company benefits more and destroys more than my driving my 1980 civic.
Counter point. If the congestion pricing extended all the way through The Bronx, Queens, and The Mt. Vernon or Mt. Hebron area, this wouldn’t be an issue for any of the boroughs.Replied to the wrong comment.
Congestion pricing only makes sense if they do something to mitigate the lack of public transit availability, punctuality, and affordability. If public transit were cheap and ubiquitous, then go right ahead.
Instead, busses and subways cost more and still smell like piss and now you get congestions pricing if you drive in.
I would agree with all your points, if the year was 1975. Since it’s not, maybe start trying to have some empathy.
Oh, just an FYI, I’m not one of the people who downvoted you.
Edit: you can literally check the modlog
Curious how many people who downvoted my initial comment have ever worked in NYC and had to deal with either driving or taking public transit.
I know the point is to raise funds to improve it, but based on my city’s track record , they don’t ever divest it into things that make a difference in the public transit. Instead they do things like: embezzle (Adam’s is indicted btw) or add more cops, or change the turnstiles, but they don’t fix the issues with our systems.
They’re still filthy and run like ass and they JUST raised priced for the 3rd time in 5 years.
I actually support the idea of people driving less in cities and getting the cars out of manhattan for the most part, I just know how poorly this city is run currently and how badly this will go.
PSA: Remember, everyone, not to be poor in those areas.
Edit: thanks everyone for the clarification.
Poor people can’t afford a car in Manhattan. This is a tax on middle to high income people. It’s good for NYC.
If you are poor, there are discounts for those with low income who live in the area. There’s also exemptions for people with medical conditions that prevent them from using public transit source.
Street parking in NYC is $9 an hour, and long term parking garages typically charge like $400 per month. $9 per day is nothing in comparison.
