Why New York REALLY Cancelled Congestion Pricing | Why it WILL Come Back

[@KantiDono]

"I created all these problems for you, but it's an election year, so now I'm going to pretend to care about affordability." -- Governor's Speech [Translated]

[@MikeXavier-s3o]

Bingo ! 🎯.... shes a piggy , no doubt about it ! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@f-86zoomer37]

okay but why should a city cater to the needs of white flight suburbanites who don't even pay taxes there?

[@DuckOfRubber]

I always tell people as much attention as the national elections get, in reality local and state elections have far more impact on most peoples’ day to day lives, and one vote has far more impact too.

[@charlesphilhower1452]

National politics have an effect on people, if Biden did not encourage and enable so many illegal indigents to come the USA, NYC wouldn’t have the flood of illegals coming into the city that they are experiencing now.

[@MosheFeder]

In many ways, you're absolutely right. But the presidency and control of the Senate do have implications for our everyday lives too, as we saw when the Republicans implemented their long-term plan to gain control of the Supreme Court and overturn legal abortion. If Mitch McConnell hadn’t cheated President Obama out of a Supreme Court appointment and Hillary had won as most expected, the Court would be very different and abortion would still be a woman’s choice nationwide. That's why it's important to vote in EVERY election.

[@anthonycolon5138]

Our vote here is NYC is not worth the same as a vote in another state.

[@ellisjackson5083]

Hell covid showed me how important local government is. Folks better start paying more attention to the little country (state) they live in.

[@onYaFace2023]

10000000% correct

[@DoragonRider75]

A Long Islander here. What really pisses me off about the 11th hour stoppage of congestion pricing is the fact that Governor Hochul isn't learning from history. Politicians (Democrats and Republicans alike) were treating the MTA as their piggy bank for DECADES by taking revenues that were supposed to go into the MTA and redirecting it away towards other things to the tune of $1.5 billion. For example, when Governor Cuomo was in office, his administration forced the MTA to cough up $5 million to bail out three ski resorts. SKI RESORTS!! And these same politicians also forced the MTA to pay billions of dollars more on opulent station makeovers that did nothing to improve service and reliability. By doing this 11th hour U-Turn on congestion pricing, she is no better than the politicians of the past when it comes to getting the funding the MTA deserves.

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

Thank you. You know your history. MTA gets robbed over and over again

[@Demopans5990]

Honestly, the MTA should just be placed under control of the city government

[@ryandarko2115]

Something will go to Long Island as well. The city and state have no money seriously the cost-of-living has become horrible. They need to drain everyone from every penny.

[@Scarsofevil]

Oh and he tried to extract money from the federal covid bailout of the MTA.

[@Atrail_Mckinley4786]

@@Demopans5990 It was but the state took back control back in 2006 I believe because the city managed it poorly

[@matt007]

Two Words - Election Year.

[@UHaulShorts]

Dominion machines

[@sbinnala]

Keep telling yourself that. It’s political suicide and elections are already meaningless.

[@mayhemmike1789]

A$$ holes

[@horny99845]

You got it

[@jepleas9159]

Suburban voters

[@ca6vtec]

MTA could charge $30 per ride on the subway/buses and they would still not have money. The mismanagement is strong with the MTA

[@DWilliam1]

There is a huge percentage of subway riders that do not pay. I take the 3 to Wall Street everyday and at the 135th street station, about half the riders hop the turnstyles.

[@terpinkov8770]

@@DWilliam1if the trains ran on time and weren’t constantly delayed maybe more of us would be inclined to pay

[@DWilliam1]

@@terpinkov8770 Well, those are great reasons to break the law…or perhaps if you and your friends paid there would be enough money to purchase newer trains, fix the tracks and hire enough people to make sure they were on time not to mention cleaner and safer stations…

[@PhantomThiefOfSports]

​@@DWilliam1 The MTA should be audited so we can see where the money they manage (or mismanage) really goes. The issue isn't farebeaters, but the incompetence and corruption that goes on around the MTA for decades. Putting it on fare evasion seems like scapegoating

[@brandonselitetv1436]

​@@DWilliam1 How about you hold the MTA accountable for once

[@keithbeck8170]

So unless you see them taking down the equipment it is not a matter of if but when.

[@s.s.99]

This is what I’m saying. They already bought the cameras for it and installed them. You HAVE to do it eventually, unless they want to repurpose them as speed cameras or something

[@AbuNewYorkCity]

@@s.s.99 $500 M those cameras all the systems cost apparently. That's six months worth of revenue to recoup the cost of setting it up.

[@terpinkov8770]

@@AbuNewYorkCitywhat about the bus stops at LaGuardia that cost a reported 500M? another drop in the bucket for the MTA

[@originaltruth2244]

Those cameras are doing whatbir was suppose to do is spy. Thats my opinion they used the traffic story to get it installed with no hassle now its installed they going to pull back until they their next plan is started then we will see them start congestion pricing my opinion

[@HamadiYT]

lmk if they start altho i dont expect it

[@joemasters2270]

The Cross Bronx is already a disaster w/ traffic as it is. Driving on it is pure nightmare fuel.

[@newyorknewyork1190]

As well the BQE that bridge will collapse is in very bad shape.

[@antonioreconquistador]

Exactly, the cross-bronx BQE and staten island systems are just as terrible as manhattan's internal systems. If theyre not building something that funnels traffic from the bridges to the tunnels, they have no excuse... Because people need to do things in manhattan or out of state.

[@tonywalters7298]

@@antonioreconquistador The subway should be connected to Staten Island

[@dxtxzbunchanumbers]

congestion pricing included mitigations for impacts on the Bronx. now the Bronx gets nothing except the same gouge in the earth that Robert Moses left.

[@deenycest10710]

lol it’s only delayed. The plan is to have it operational very soon.

[@LiTTLeDizZyUriNe]

Man I was out in Queens at a diner a few weeks ago and there was a group of like 8-10 middle aged women who were talking about how everyone in their network is getting involved in their local government. NYC is about to see the REAL housewives of New York. They done pissed off the Greek and Italian moms. Point is -- local politics are paramount. This country is designed for out politics to work from the bottom up, that's why it's important to get involved locally. National politics be damned.

[@tatersncorn]

Gen x starting to step into power

[@LuisGross-jr9on]

You're easily impressed.

[@Sk8NdEsTrOy150]

Aah yes let’s put the ppl who brought organized crime to ny, in office lmaooo

[@zeroheat5787]

Which diner?

[@LiTTLeDizZyUriNe]

@@LuisGross-jr9on what?

[@mattl6948]

Great message, Mike. I especially like how you point out the importance of LOCAL elections!

[@kpsting]

AFAIK, majority of suburbanites would take a train, a bus or a boat to get into the city rather than drive. No idea how many people are actually commuting by car to that part of Manhattan (those who would have been paying $15 extra to get in as per this defunct plan)

[@PFAlt]

2%. 2% of commuters. They canceled this plan over the 2%.

[@SofaSpy]

And not only that when you get to Manhattan, where are you even going to park? Street parking is rare and The garages there are like $60 for a day or $600 for a monthly pass. Nobody really drives to lower or midtown Manhattan, especially from the suburbs. Like all things, congestion was just a political football for both parties to blow out of proportion for their benefit.

[@gencreeper6476]

Probably people delivering carrying things with them etc. People who have to drive because they cant bring what they need on transit reasonably. Having a needs based access system would work way better than a wealth based access system that always was going to recieve a backlash. People with legitimate need to get in who couldnt afford it would just find ways around it either risking charges or just moving things between vehicles.

[@freshmclovin4593]

Ya gonna learn people that drive are the ones spending the most money on a daily basis !! Forcing them out makes absolutely no sense 😂😂😂 people that take trains aren't doing the expensive shopping

[@NihilistSolitude]

The trains are unsafe and the bus service are not that far behind, currently the folks I know that go into the city where already in discussions with their employer of working from home more often or demanding a large pay increase.

[@cddrummer97]

Mike! Lived between LI and Queens my entire life -- the points against congestion pricing are commonly stated, and I think generally they're reasonable, but only in the context of the US outside of the NY metro. Transit dominates here! More than 75% of people who commute to Manhattan are using public transit and only 2% of all commuters residing in the city are driving into Manhattan! Admittedly NJT and MNR are not as reliable as one would like (which would get better over time with con pricing), but the LIRR can absolute handle the influx of former drivers, especially after East Side Access. 100% agree on it being all political though, although I really don't buy the calculus here -- the people who are pro-congestion pricing have a lot more to lose by it being canned than the people who are anti-congestion pricing have to gain from it being implemented given that wayyyyyyy more people would benefit from the public transit improvements -- especially considering that the voting population straight up hates the city and doesn't even come here anyway! Very worried this might backfire this cycle.

[@Atrail_Mckinley4786]

It won't backfire. Most New Yorkers, according to multiple polls, opposed the plan. Transit deserts do exist in NYC and the NY Metropolitan area, meaning that not everyone can use public transportation. It's not people who live outside the NY metro area that opposed it, and no, many people who do drive into Manhattan are not rich Many small businesses opposed it, for instance, because they admitted that costs would have to go up and would've been passed onto consumers. You can't make deliveries to a business on a train. This wouldn't have reduced congestion either since the MTA's own environmental assessment stated that traffic would increase in the outer boroughs, Northern Manhattan, Lower East Side, Battery Park City, neighborhoods along the FDR and West Side Highway as well which led many in those communities to oppose it. I don't drive in this city, but even I opposed it. This was just nothing more than a cash grab for a transit agency that has a history of mismanagement and going overbudget. Grand Central Madison, for example, was 7 billion overbudget. The second avenue subway expansion costs 10 billion. It shouldn't cost 10 billion to build 4 stations, especially when some of the tunnels were already built decades ago. That is unacceptable. The MTA themselves admitted that there would be no service increases if this had gone through, which is why the transit union opposed it. Money generated from this would've gone to waste. The governor made the right decision

[@freshmclovin4593]

So why do I never see these high rates of train travelers with plenty of bags from shopping??? Keep pushing out the people the actually spend high rates pf money

[@chillin5703]

​@@Atrail_Mckinley4786 congestion pricing only was to be implemented for midtown and lower manhattan. That's a transit desert?

[@Demopans5990]

​@@freshmclovin4593 Because they're all in that maze that is called Penn Station? Also second rule of business: having wealthy customers that clear out your stores is nice, but it would be foolhardy to base your business just on serving them. McDonald's discovered this the hard way when they raised prices

[@williamerazo3921]

@@chillin5703talking out his ass

[@YuriJohnson]

Thank you for stating how important voting is. I really can’t stand when people have so many opinions about politicians but have not even been to a voting let alone registered

[@cyclopsvision6370]

when the idiots that pay the $15 fee vote for the politicians that implemented it, they deserve what they get

[@jerm70]

Why go out to vote if the election doesn't matter? It doesn't matter who you put into office you will wind up with the same agenda. Hochul is a different beast of a politician. She is so terrible at her job that she almost lost the election that was guaranteed to her.

[@yaush_]

The main problem with the congestion charges is that suburban Americans will do anything other than take a public bus or train

[@artemiscool67]

Given the state of the options we can't blame them.

[@antonioreconquistador]

Yeah im sure pubic transit isnt just as congested and slow and often out of trajectory Not everyone has an easy commute or an option to live right on a train or express bus line if they work in manhattan, and it's not like people in queens and the bronx are going to drive through SI and gowanus traffic to get to jersey or elsewhere- or people making deliveries or picking up relatives/friends can just bypass manhattan

[@hmmdoh7835]

i don't feel safe to take bus, subway or any public transportation..... while I hear knife slashing, gun shooting by those illegals everyday....

[@ihateregistrationbul]

That was the whole point of working hard so you don't have to live in the cage

[@Pero-zl4jp]

Tbf someone like me who lives in Westchester I have no choice but to take a direct to grand central and so do thousands of other Americans. My old boss lived up in orange and would have no choice but to drive to manhattan. Plus people who do live in the city I can’t blame them for wanting to avoid a subway or public bus.

[@james5460]

Having lived near NYC and also in the congestion zone, we rarely drove into the city, only when absolutely necessary or just to get through it, it's always been a nightmare. If you think this is some bonanza for the poor, think again - trucks delivering into NYC will pay through the nose, raising grocery costs, etc. for people scraping by. This will not reduce traffic because the trucks, taxis, limos cause the congestion. This will make Manhattan more of a preserve for the ultra-wealthy.

[@JamesR1986]

That doesn't seem to line up with any picture I have of New York City, and it doesn't make sense on a logical level. What does a retailer see more of, costumers or delivery trucks? What does a business see more of employees or delivery trucks?

[@josephfisher426]

@@JamesR1986 However, ALL of the deliveries arrive by truck, while in lower Manhattan most of the customers and employees already are on transit or in a cab.

[@james5460]

@@JamesR1986 Having lived in NYC for decades, the streets full of taxis, limos, buses, and trucks. Passenger cars are by far the minority.

[@antonioreconquistador]

It'll only increase passenger traffic in the bronx brooklyn and SI... For people who have to drop off loved ones or friends in manhattan, even if theyre not regarded as "commuters", and people who have to drive through to reach any mainland or outerborough destination, well fuck them, because theyre "suburbanites" or something.

[@thatguysdog5062]

Not true! Sorry 😊

[@tcpipman4638]

It makes no sense to charge Trucks; the City needs food and other items into the city; this is an insane idea that will drive up costs even more

[@mrxman581]

They can change the regulation to better accommodate commercial vehicles that have to drive into the city. Or, at least just charge the vehicle once in a 24 hour period, and not every time they come into city within one 24 hour period. As I understand it, personal vehicle are only charged once.

[@All_Amin]

@@mrxman581 All vehicles are charged only once a day

[@bruhbutwhytho]

They should charge them only during certain hours

[@Atrail_Mckinley4786]

​​@@All_AminTrucks would be charged multiple times. Not one time.

[@The_Empty_Shadow]

​@@bruhbutwhythoThe plan was to only charge below 60th Street between 5 AM to 9 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 9 PM on weekends, with rates varying by vehicle but I think a $15 charge max, with exceptions for certain tunnels and I *think* it would possibly have been waived for low-income people who could prove beforehand that it would harm them financially, not 100% certain.

[@RailfannerMario]

Probably the best explanation video of how this situation unfolded regrading congestion pricing in NYC as it’s just shows things behind the scenes.

[@reyesmike112]

Thank god its cancel. MTA has been mismanaging money for to long. New Yorkers shouldn't be paying for there waste of managements 😮

[@s.r6331]

It's not cancled. They paused it

[@utubeyaw]

They should make the subway safer and reduce delays and people ridership will increase

[@SAMSON12321]

@@robertnightshade2574 WHAT ARE YOU A POLITICIAN? The cost of a Metrocard in NY has gone from 29 dollars per month to 130 dollars per month and what has changed? The MTA makes BILLIONS in profit every year and where is that money? The MTA controls the entire mass transit system, bridges and tunnels, and whole businesses... NO ONE ASKS WHERE IS THE MONEY THE PASSENGERS COMMUTERS AND DRIVERS ARE BEING ROBBED OF? You want to attack people, yet say nothing of the corrupt polliticians who should have been jailed decades ago for their endless crimes. Your mentality is exactly why nothing changes and things get worse... you are following in the interests of the corrupt politicians

[@s.r6331]

​@@robertnightshade2574no its not. Stop being dense

[@FakeReal007]

Politicians are saying they need the congestion pricing income in order to do what you’re saying lol 😂

[@punchervalid]

Wow Perfect timing !! I’m on the NJ Turnpike traveling to NYC as i’m watching this😆

[@tomasmowery164]

I took the New Jersey Turnpike from Exit 3 to 6 to get home from Pennco Tech because there's an accident on I-295

[@JimAllen-Persona]

Sucker 😂😂😂 Trust me, been there many times.

[@s.s.99]

I’m not on the NJ Turnpike but I resonate with you guys

[@ecoRfan]

And of course NJ politicians would rather spend on adding more lanes to the inner zone of the Turnpike around Jersey City than fixing the poor state of transit infrastructure and equipment repair. Adding lanes in a dense urban core always catches up to itself.

[@tomasmowery164]

@@ecoRfan The Turnpike dosen't involve any politicians. People who work for the Turnpike Authority are normal people who are engineers, Maintenance, etc because they don't need any of our tax dollars because the road is tolled. 295, 78, 80, and 287 do involve politicians because they involve our tax dollars to maintain the road.

[@Marty4650]

Nobody drives into Manhattan for fun. Even before congestion pricing driving in Manhattan was a living nightmare. The traffic is gridlocked, and it takes LONGER to get where you want to go. Parking is impossible or extremely expensive. And it is a nerve racking experience. They drive there because they need to, or because the subways are so unsafe. The net effect of congestion pricing will be: 1. To offset the huge losses generated by fare evasion, since NYC refuses to enforce laws and punish criminals. 2. To make life better for rich people who can afford to own cars in Manhattan 3. To shift congestion and pollution from Manhattan to Northern NJ and the Bronx

[@Demopans5990]

Ya know, there are worse ways to combat congestion. Singapore limits plates to be sold through auction only, and if you know anything about Singapore, its that Singapore is a very dense city with very little in car infrastructure, so just like NYC. Plates accordingly often sell for the equivalent of 30k USD, often going as high as 60K. If NYC is to implement a similar scheme, say with special city plates, expect to pay 100K just for the privilege of using the car within city boundaries. Chinese cities do something very similar, but instead, the plates can only be purchased through lottery tickets, and can only be driven on certain days of the week. Expect funny shenanigans with traffic cameras Japanese cities like Tokyo require that you have a off street parking slot before they'll even give you the plate. NYC doesn't have a lot of off street parking, and since NYS politics are just city politics, expect nearly draconian DMV rules to be imposed on the rest of the state

[@Marty4650]

@@Demopans5990 You really don't need a vehicle in Manhattan unless you are making deliveries. But if it is just transporting yourself, then cars should be unnecessary because they DO have an excellent subway and bus system. Maybe if the subways weren't so filthy and unsafe more people would use them? And maybe if the city enforced fare payment they wouldn't need to find some other way to generate revenue? NYC created this mess by being unwilling to enforce their own laws. And now they want to fix it by creating another mess. If they just had some common sense, then none of this would be necessary. I think your idea is a good one. Create some sort of very expensive permit to drive in Manhattan, but then clean up the subways and make them clean and safe. And also COLLECT the fares. Stop making the law abiding people subsidize the criminals.

[@Demopans5990]

@@Marty4650 Quite honestly, the safety problem with the transit system is overblown, though considering how much of it stems from mental illness, it's probably high time to reopen a few asylums since prisons are not equipped for handling people not of sound mind, and would probably make the problem worse, which is counterproductive when taxpayer funds are spent. As for the homeless problem in the subways, not much you can do for the existing population, though I must wonder where the political will for constructing as much cheap housing as possible is. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure after all. I suspect functional commie blocks to inevitably cost less than the current budget on all the enforcement relating to crime after 5 years or so

[@hayleymadisonllc2180]

@@Marty4650exactly. I hate the subway, it’s dangerous. Police are not fit and they are wasting the military time. The influx of migrants only added more fuel to the fire. NYC will lose horribly because businesses will shut down. It will be the homeless the poor and the rich. The mayor and governor are dead batteries that can’t be recharged 😂

[@Fighter4Street]

Problem in manhattan is every other car is an uber car, too many rich pampered people in Manhattan think they are too good for the subway so constantly take uber rides. These people are to blame.

[@michaellyga4726]

Toothless Kathy. If you’re gonna do something, do it.

[@Mcfunface]

Her ratings have been too low. On an election year, politicians bow to those numbers.

[@thunderb00m]

Its more important to stop trump in November than sticking to your ideals.

[@Alchemist718]

@@thunderb00mwtf type of nonsense are you saying. Please put the crack pipe down thanks.

[@MediumPapi66]

She’s never been credibly accused of being “toothless” brother she’s got a row of urinals for chompers

[@golferpro1241]

@@thunderb00myou got it

[@horationelson1840]

New York needs to improve their public transit system, not charge people to drive. Most New Yorkers don’t take the subway because it’s cheaper, they take it cause it’s faster. Transit options are great inside NYC, but they’re not as good between the City, New Jersey, Upstate, Long Island and Staten Island. If I was going from downtown to Harlem, I’d take the subway. If I was going from downtown to Stony Brook, I’d drive. That’s really the problem. Improve the transit and people will take it.

[@gustavoaragon4194]

The MTA doesn't have the logistics and infrastructure to handle twice the amount of potential riders to begin with. In its current state the MTA struggles to maintain enough buses & trains running. They always have delays,so imagine if they have to handle twice the number of riders. It would be extraordinarily bad. Also for many people driving is the only option to go from A to B. These are facts.😢

[@dxtxzbunchanumbers]

FOH. MTA ridership is at 70% of pre-pandemic ridership. Car traffic is *exceeding* what it was before the pandemic because idiots bought gigantic SUV's with stimulus checks. Basic math says there's plenty of room on subways and too little room on the roadways.

[@thatguysdog5062]

Not true! 😊

[@s.r6331]

​@@dxtxzbunchanumbersthey're not wrong. Can't even fix the current issue w the train system. It's already packed as it is

[@gustavoaragon4194]

@@dxtxzbunchanumbers You must be living in the suburbs. Take a ride on the E train in morning and afternoon rush hours. Wait till you get to court Street and see how much capacity left the MTA for twice the amount of riders. Take the A train to the Rockaways or the 5 & 6 trains to the Bronx.

[@johnchambers8528]

While congestion pricing sounds good in theory it will negatively affect the residents of New York City. Business especially ones that rely on deliveries in that area will have to raise prices since I am sure the trucking companies will pass the cost on to their customers. Just like many companies started charging more when gas and diesel fuel prices went higher fast. So more people will look to leave New York City and so will some businesses or they will just close and there will be more vacant retail spaces.

[@drucartier2164]

You are smart.. I tell people all the time .. Your governor and mayor has way more control over your life than any president

[@ItzMiKeKirbY]

I don’t care about congestion pricing. It sounds good on paper but I feel like it’s a tax on the working NY class. This concept has been implemented elsewhere and hasn’t really produced any fruits. Anyway, just tax the billionaires keeping empty buildings in billionaire’s row. Boston did it. NY needs to do it too.

[@chrischreative2245]

How come the solution is never mess taxes? These dem states are heavily in debt so why let them take more? At the end of the day the middle class always pays these fees one way or the other.

[@landrytelfair445]

As a dude that lives on Long Island who would rather eat a meal from Fear Factor before driving into the city (due to 25MPH speed cameras), If this goes live before I stop breathing my last breath, I will never drive again in Manhattan.

[@SomeNerdSomewhere]

Spoken like a true Long Islander. We appreciate you.

[@spookyshark632]

That's the point. To get people to not drive in Manhatten.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

I’ve only gotten 1 ticket for running a school zone at LaGuardia Community College at 7PM on the way to the 59th street bridge. Apparently the school zone ends at 10:00 pm

[@JimAllen-Persona]

It’s a cost of doing business. What’s our options? The Cross Bronx? Staten Island?

[@mikemclean5815]

But would you still *go* to Manhattan? Cause if you’re still gonna go there, but just go there by transit, then that’s not a loss for them: that, in fact, is *exactly* what they *want*!

[@lajya01]

It sounds like a perfect recipe to empty the City of its businesses and residents even more. Not to mention, the price the trucks will have to pay will be passed down to consumers residing in the red zone.

[@jamesmcmanus1206]

It’s a tax on the working class and it’s an election year. In the highest taxed city in the country, I think we have enough to pay for our bridges, trains, buses, and tunnels. Oh but we squander that money on paying for everyone to live for free, except those contributing to the system.

[@nytoaddis76]

The working class do to drive to downtown.

[@joncuz718]

$24/$36 per truck is a money grab.. and will only hurt the struggling working class as the delivery cost will just get pass along..

[@vespuccini]

Wrong. deliveries go faster and more can be made. Same for emergency vehicles.

[@awsomegirlpower476]

​@@vespucciniWym wrong? If they have to pay to get in and out then items will have to be more expensive. It being easier for them to drive there doesn't mean it's cheaper.

[@vespuccini]

@@awsomegirlpower476 faster moving traffic means more deliveries are made. Which is way more money than the $15 fee

[@joncuz718]

@@vespuccini I said that delivery cost will go up....reading is fundamental...

[@joncuz718]

@@vespuccini you need to go back to kindy garden to learn your 1,2,3s delivery trucks pay $24, not $15.

[@nlpnt]

Carrots need to come before sticks - make visible improvements to the MTA (and have them *complete* , the subway seems to always be under construction) before implementing congestion pricing.

[@craigmcpherson1455]

Correct. As another commenter said, enforce fare evasion. Get rid of the ne'er-do-wells and the regular folk will feel safer and take public transportation.

[@Demopans5990]

@@craigmcpherson1455 There was plans to expand the subway in the 1970s. The fiscal crisis that hit everywhere with the oil embargo and NIMBYs shelved that idea

[@vespuccini]

@@craigmcpherson1455so many people arguing to cancel congestion pricing due to "costs affecting low income people" yet turn around and show how they want to instead punish them more for fare evasion despite the increased external costs of driving as a mode of transit

[@jerm70]

​@@vespucciniYou have to be sustainable. There is a difference between punishing poor people and improving the infrastructure. Price congestion is a scheme to generate revenue and allow corporate allies to get kickbacks by having to constantly repair and maintain the equipment to handle all this. It's a scam that deviates from what matters.

[@vespuccini]

@@jerm70 you have just described the bloat of maintaining car infrastructure

[@itseveryday8600]

This doesnt surprise me. I live in the Bronx but even after end of covid, Manhattan seems to have remained desolate. I went there last week and it felt emptier than last year, seems more people are leaving every year, so congestion charge is not needed. Decongestion is occurring naturally. They may still have wanted that extra income for the MTA, but like mentioned in the video, it may be bad for local business. Remote work is the other reason why there are lack of people about in the city, and Im sure, hurting retail business. No commuters & serious decline in tourists aslo means that there must be decline in demand for taxi use, which was the biggest contributor to traffic.

[@freecycling6687]

She didn't say anything that she hasn't known all along. Gee, it wouldn't be a cheap political stunt, would it?

[@grumpyoldman53]

I really liked this explanation. Clear and concise and a wake up call to you young ins why it's important to vote in your LOCAL elections.

[@terrencebenjamin7241]

Even with congestion pricing cancelled, whoever is going to vote against her will. They being people don’t drive in because they want to, they drive in because they have to. A lot of people do ride the rails and the bus but sometimes the car is still feasible. Ian’s as majority of the city is against congestion pricing, some say they will eat the $15 because they have no choice. That being said would this really decrease traffic?

[@johnathin0061892]

Right. No one just drives around Manhattan for the hell of it, they do it because they have to.

[@vespuccini]

2% of NYC residents drive into the zone because a vehicle is the only form of transit

[@williamerazo3921]

It’s not cancel. A Governor can’t just disregard law. A judge already said they can’t

[@vespuccini]

@@williamerazo3921 A delay should be substantiated before the MTA begins losing money and contracts, violating its mandate fiduciary duty

[@jamalgibson8139]

Congestion pricing has been proven in city upon city as literally the only thing that will meaningfully reduce traffic. Nothing else you do will reduce traffic; even building transit doesn't really reduce traffic, though transit is still important to build. Even near me, the minute they put tolls up to pay for an expansion, traffic magically evaporated. Forcing drivers to pay the actual cost of the infrastructure they use changes how useful driving actually is. Imagine that.

[@ix830]

Great video Mike. The NY Metro might be the first in the US to consider congestion pricing, but it won't be the last. Also, thanks for talking about the politics embedded in these processes. As a planner, I'm often reminded how even the best recommendation can be killed via the political process.

[@Peter-ok9bj]

One thing people don't mention. Prices will go up on everything. How simple, all those trucks will be charged congestión pricing and they will be passing on to the consumer. Also people will stop going to downtown because of all these tolls so businesses will lose a lot of money. Congestion was created by the politicians for example Broadway was basically a three lane road now is basically one. They created bike lanes, bus lanes and they shortened the lanes that created congestion and that was done to implement congestion pricing. Another thing they want people taking the subways? And you still have the national guard guarding stations because people are getting mugged beaten up and killed. Unless it's an emergency or do not care for your safety who wants to ride the subways ñ? Maybe for work but not to go shopping or to restaurants.

[@261mrbrown]

The problem that I have with congestion pricing is that drivers should not be made to pay for people who ride the trains so that the MTA can continue to line their pockets for shoddy money management. Drivers are not flush with disposable income. Drivers should not be bailing out the MTA. The people who benefit from congestion pricing should be footing the bill. Not drivers, but rather train riders, businesses, and locals. Kudos to Gov Hochul.

[@timereigns6629]

I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I took public transportation regularly from the age of 7 to 18. I bought a car at 18 and from 18 to 25 still took public transportation to go to work. I'm 56 and over the past 3 decades I take the the MTA rarely. I much prefer to move about NYC in my car. I leave when i want, I listen to my tunes and talk radio as loud as i want. Im seldom late. Private transport comfort beats the MTA SIGNIFICANTLY The car owners of NYC have been given less and less by the City and State. 30 years ago I could park on the street in Time Square with relative ease. Now they are much more 'no parking' signs and the hours to park legally have shrunk. So now drivers are forced to use a parking garage which can cost about $30-75 a visit Parking restrictions have also hit the boroughs. Now Citi bikes have taken 1000s of parking spaces, now there are Bus only lanes, Bike lanes have also increased dramatically. Then there are all types of speeding and red light cameras. All this to say that NYC has punished and bilked and taxed the drivers of NYC enough!!!! And they still want congestion pricing?!? When is enough- enough?!? The MTA is system is very good . But it will never be close to ideal. The Subway and buses are unclean, there are many random people with problems and/or bad intentions. The service has many delays. The MTA is just bloated and they want to extract even more money out of the tax base that drives. It's not like that haven't made it more difficult to drive already!

[@notme8232]

Local man causes problem and wonders why city is trying to fix it

[@timereigns6629]

@@notme8232 Naw.... I caused no problem or broke no laws. What I have felt first hand is NYC and State continue to fine, tax and continue to give me less. People who don't drive have no problem with the new fees because they are not paying them. The billions of dollars raised won't markedly improve their quality of life. 100s of Billions have been spent on the MTA since I've been born and public transportation is better BUT not by billions. It's just more money being extracted from the public

[@notme8232]

@@timereigns6629 Cars are inherently a problem for cities. They're loud, annoying, extremely dangerous, and make it impossible to get anywhere if you're not also in a metal death machine. Getting even 10% of drivers out of downtown would significantly improve quality of life for people who actually live there.

[@timereigns6629]

@@notme8232 Biased aren't we?!? Cars are not annoying, or generally loud, and for those that have them-they are way easier to get around NYC. They are super useful. I'm a Native NYer, Brooklyn through and through. Having a vehicle has been a great experience sans the recent punitive attempts to fleece me.

[@chunkemonke398]

​@@timereigns6629 Queens. The driving culture has gotten me out of my car. For me, the stress of driving in NYC outweighs the comfort of being in my car. I'm more comfortable in public transit, where I can read a book and not have my eyes glued to the road. There were times when public transit saved my butt because I could do some last-minute studying for my finals on the way to college.

[@Uss997]

Cleaner air quality,quality of life...blah blah blah,it's just a money grab,and mta is a money pit,period.

[@vespuccini]

Both are true? Why is it an either-or? No one complains about how expensive the bullet train in Japan was, or how many times over budget it went. I don't hear you complaining about how expensive highway infrastructure is

[@dougr.2245]

Very well presented. I think congestion pricing would have been an ecological & economic disaster (I live in North Jersey that would have been very adversely affected.) Your right about politics. Forcing people to try to use a broken, inadequate transit system to avoid absurdly high tolls would have been a slow death to businesses in the zone, but the political will to fix the transit system first, so people would be happy to leave their cars at home was too costly for the politicians. I don't think that even after the election without major transit improvements first, that this program will be anything but a disaster for New York.

[@jamesofalo6247]

Very important. The MTA & NYS law makers are trying to force people to use a subway system that is more polluted than the the air above based on a recent NYU Langone study.

[@dxtxzbunchanumbers]

New Jersey's existence is an ecological disaster

[@ryanandangieisbell8444]

Another reason why people are fleeing New York.

[@rileypup5959]

Please go back to what you voted for.

[@tdadp]

Congesting pricing will only increase the cost of doing business and being passed along to every New Yorker regardless if you don’t live in that because trucks have to get in and out of the.

[@Demopans5990]

The cost was baked in already. Most truckers don't even bother with city deliveries because it's just a massive waste of time for average pay, and their trucks often don't fit on city streets anyways. Most truckers prefer to offload their containers at a NJ warehouse and let delivery vans and short wheelbase trucks do city deliveries, who also happen to be very familiar with city streets

[@usernameryan5982]

Absolutely false. Congested roads are a much higher cost to businesses than a congestion charge because if you’re running a business sending trucks that are barely able to move, the productivity of each truck plummets meaning you need to hire more drivers and buy more trucks. If you’re a business owner, less people drive by your shop if the roads are congested, deliveries take longer and cost more for reasons above. Putting a demand based charge on the road increases the productivity of the road which is overall better for business. The true value of a road is not the cost to pave or maintain them, it’s to take up the rare and valuable space on the road that ends up delaying trips everyone else driving, ambulances, buses, etc.

[@williamerazo3921]

@@Demopans5990exactly

[@tdadp]

@@usernameryan5982 how so I’m a friend two friends that own two different businesses one has two businesses in Manhattan above 60th and below 60th I have another one that owns a restaurant in Queens and Manhattan in order for him to do business he’s gonna have to pay $15 just to bring supplies to his business on top of his deliveries. It’s gonna cost more to the consumers in the neighborhood and cause an increase to his customers in queens because he is small business owner.

[@2aj.]

@@usernameryan5982 not false, can tell you know nothing about being a business owner in New York at all. Almost every business owner within the congestion relief zone disagrees with congestion pricing.

[@thepointsnorth]

I live in Manhattan and felt like this did not make sense to launch as-is. I don’t know anyone in Manhattan that supported it, too many issues with the plan. Not necessarily logical just a fact: no one wanted this. Sorry people in other cities or even other boroughs you have no clue what this proposal sounded like to folks here - Would hurt many thousand of small businesses who would then have do more deliveries etc in Manhattan to make up for the extra charge every day - parking above 60th is already tough, and about to become impossible. - most people here are struggling, 6 figure income gets you a lower middle class life here now and it feels totally tone deaf to then ask for more for any reason not absolutely necessary

[@alexhajnal107]

Never mind supporting congestion pricing, a lot on Manhattanites have been calling for a ban on all private (non-delivery) vehicles on the island.

[@FakeOutraged]

@@alexhajnal107Where’d you get that from or did you just make that up?

[@alexhajnal107]

@@FakeOutraged That as the opinion of myself and most of the Manhattanites that I know. (Off the top of my head I can't think of anyone I know who lives in the City and thinks cars on the island are a good thing.) The only people I've met who support having private cars in the City either live away from good public transit (e.g. Upper Ditmars, outer Queens) or live in suburbia.

[@FakeOutraged]

@@alexhajnal107 If a ban on “non-delivery vehicles” was as popular as you believe it was among “Manhattanites”, there would be something written somewhere on how popular it was not just your small circle. You definitely have the right to your opinion and I respect it, but that doesn’t mean it was popular among the people.

[@alexhajnal107]

@@FakeOutraged Do you know of any formal studies on the matter? I know a lot of people of very varied backgrounds and their opinions are as I described. Perhaps there's a demographic that I haven't encountered that supports having private cars in Manhattan.

[@CJ3WT]

Random - Would you ever consider making a video about ‘Control Cities’ ‘Highway Signage’. Ex - The lack of Philadelphia signs in MD. The control city is NYC even though you have to pass Wilmington, Philly & Newark area before entering NYC. I think it’ll be a cool video.

[@pokemonred2005]

I think this is related to I-95 not having been continuous for a very long time, so the through route was the NJ Turnpike. Generally if going north you would bypass Philadelphia entirely by entering the Turnpike through Wilmington.

[@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher88]

You've ever been to Manhattan and notice the sheer amount of yellow taxi cabs everywhere? Realize that since the introduction of rideshare apps in NYC, the number of rideshare vehicles on those same streets is 8X the same number of taxi cabs. That's basically nearly 70,000 additional cars, whom for the majority of the time are unoccupied.

[@emmo119]

If the subway and buses were: safer, cleaned regularly - not just during a pandemic, reliable, and on time I’m sure there would be less vitriol. Not the mention the consistent nj transit and Amtrak issues due to their being one two tunnels into NYC. Infrastructure in this city is horrible let’s be honest. Go abroad to places like London or Paris and it’s night and day. We’re just now getting mobile payments on trains which is insane - honestly if not for the egregious mismanagement and greed of prior politicians and officials we wouldn’t be in this mess. But now you want the average traveler/commuter who barely gets a raise to match inflation to cover the costs. Give me a break!

[@dougr.2245]

Very well said!!!

[@ldisc66]

I'm sorry, London? Their underground is nearly as bad as New York's.

[@colin8449]

great video great explanation mike!

[@rmglover3191]

Bike lanes, bus lanes, open air dining have impacted traffic. Toll for central manhattan is going to create congestion in other areas (i shudder to think about the air quality on the queens side as drivers jockey to the upper level because that ramp exits you to 60th instead of 59th. Keeping fares down on mass transit is amusing; a) they WILL raise fares, b) there is a LOT of fare evasion - and right in front of cops, considering the bail reform and reclassifying and downgrading crime. Prices everywhere will go up due to the fact that contractors and store owners have to pass on the cost in order to stay afloat. And finally, when the congestion pricing is raised and the pricing area expanded - what then? An example - income tax, at its inception, was only for the wealthy and was only a war time tariff. But once you let the genie out of the bottle and that sweet sweet cash starts flowing into pockets in the form of labor contracts and kickbacks to politicians, then it will never go away. Corruption ia inevitable.

[@martinpalm5]

The subway is the worst in NYC, half the time some one is smoking some kind of drugs in it. I never had the same Problems in Tokyo.

[@Guzmania]

When the Congestion Fee was first introduced, i was hopeful. They sold it as advanced technology and camera to reduce congestions. I thought it was not bad, NYC taxi are slower than walking. As it turns out, its nothing more than just a toll. I was disappointed. Just a cash grab, which will affect all people negatively, not just the drivers. Even when i only walk within the congestion zone, i will end up paying the congestion fee indirectly, through restaurants and mechandises.

[@realDonaIdTruck]

It's too bad our voting structure only allows for two parties that most people feel disenfranchised by. Vox did a great video on how voting is done in some European countries to better allow for third parties=better turnout, representation, and political competition

[@SirFlamealot]

That’s what coalitions do:reduce party size

[@geographyjawade6655]

It will surely resume after November

[@matt_the_trucker]

... Man you hit the nail on the head with your message there... Well done sir

[@andrewlouie6435]

MTA fare evasion costs the agency more than 700 million a year! that's nearly as much as they expect to bring in with congestion pricing. They can solve their buget problems by just enforcing the law on fare evasion!

[@johnathin0061892]

Don't you know allowing people to jump the turnstile is "social justice"?

[@fredfeng5716]

700 million is only 3 percent of MTA budget and it’s simply not worth it economically or socially if they strictly enforce the fare especially if the amount of money can be easily collected by the congestion fee. MTA actually need to cut their price

[@jumpman366]

Oh please 🙄

[@BlacqueJacqueShellacque_]

If you could completely eliminate fare evasion the MTA is not going to have and extra $700 million since many of people that currently fail to pay would likely not make the trip if they had to pay. I have no idea how many would, but it's not 100%.

[@CarlGerhardt1]

@@fredfeng5716 Yes, let's stop enforcing all the rules, (except for making the middle class pay more and more taxes), like NYC did in the 1970's....how did that work out?

[@SamMcKinley]

In The NYC Metro there are plenty plenty of business alternatives. I can eat in New Rochelle, Port Chester, The Bronx

[@lugosky02]

What I take from this is that we the people should have access to duke it out with these good for nothing politicos at least twice a year.

[@mavensbaseball]

Maybe they are losing money because no one pays for busses or subway anymore. If she was worried about election season she should be..It would have increased traffic and air pollution to poorer areas of the city.. As someone who lives in Brooklyn I was absolutely against the congestion pricing. plan.

[@parkependleton6453]

Why did she cancel it? She was proving the concept that "a stopped clock is right twice a day."

[@SavvDaDon]

Need those suburban votes. Everyone, in support or not, sees this as the spineless attempt at winning voters that it is.

[@LucasDimoveo]

Cars shouldn’t be in NYC

[@Heavenly_Fury]

@@LucasDimoveonyc shouldn’t exist

[@LucasDimoveo]

@@Heavenly_Fury it’s the only proper city in the country though…

[@brandonselitetv1436]

​@@LucasDimoveoThey always existed dude. This is an industrial city and if you want to touch grass go back to the dirty south or the filthy Midwest if you a land filled with barely any cars

[@franklinbinns8329]

Political Yes but I think she made the right decision. Giving the MTA extra revenue to screw up is insane to me...they are $15B in the hole because decades of mismanagement corruption etc but this one tax is supposed to fix everything??? just delusional

[@blazejon]

NYC isn't busy like that anymore, not a surprise.

[@kenisgone]

Rise up America.

[@Unb3arablePain]

It likely has to do with election year, but there's also the other big consideration that people have been moving out of NYC, sometimes even the state, in droves the past couple years. You're already losing hundreds of thousands of often middle to upper class tax payers to other areas of the state if not another state because they think it's too expesnive to live there, whether the congestion pricing was a good thing or not wouldn't have mattered as it likely would have contributed to the same problem even further.

[@brian13105]

Congratulations Mike , very important message .

[@arbigdog73]

She's admitting Inflation is out of control.

[@raraparuka]

But Joe Biden said inflation is very low Hochol going against the big lie?

[@jimkelly4214]

She should tell Biden.

[@Dimelobee]

Im an born raised New Yorker and live under the congestion pricing area and I drive for work . I never really voted in my life nor ever pay attention to politics until the congestion pricing was introduced.. i will not be voting for anyone that’s for that highway robbery bc that’s all it was or is for now

[@james5460]

The rail lines in from Great Neck and Westchester etc. have been packed during commuter runs for decades. They're not going to magically be able to take more passengers because they are already maxed out and the stations and trains would all have to be modified (will never happen). I'll tell you what WILL happen - people will pay the tax and pass it along to you and me when we buy anything at all, including utilities. You may want to pay more - I do not.

[@TheNagurnimaster]

Your videos are so well researched and presented so well, love learning from your expertise!

[@Alex-ye1br]

Temperatures are going to be 100º+ in Midtown for the next several days. Really sucks that she backed out for political reasons.

[@kinseya7217]

NYC has been planning some sort of congestion pricing for the last 30 years. At one time they wanted tolls on Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and 59th Street Bridge. You want to ease congestion try having that army of traffic cops who's sole goal is to write tickets try helping with the flow of traffic once in a while. I am sure the companies who installed the readers for the latest congestion pricing plan are smiling all the way to the bank, don't worry though the city will use those cameras for something.

[@drelowe7]

Govnah want them votes 😂😂

[@MileageMike485]

Yep

[@Bearak]

The regressive, inequitable, unfair and unsustainable congestion toll-tax scheme fails on every level including public health and the environment, the economy and alleviating congestion. It'll not return. New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax, the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit including residents of all five boroughs and Long Island, small businesses inside and outside the “zone,” and a bipartisan group of elected officials, notes the MTA’s imprudent failure to move on from this as-inefficient-as-they-come toll-tax scheme that, as per the new EA, fails to collect the required net revenue despite the ridiculously enormous toll-taxes it would charge. Despite its name this Congestion Pricing toll-tax achieves nothing of any consequence with relieving congestion. It even falls short of its claims concerning the environment; instead it negatively impacts public health: just look at the MTA’s own Environmental Assessment and its revision. The “re-evaluation” just approved by the federal government shows MTA increased its spending on “mitigation” from $100 million to over $300 million. That evidences the Congestion Pricing toll-tax causes pollution and harms public health. New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax also calls on all those like-minded to otherwise impose a toll-tax on entry or re-entry to the zone to support the New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing Tax 5-point plan to Save Public Transit” - especially as a starting point. As to new revenues, if the need can be proven necessary, look at this “menu” of one dozen alternatives that also leverage in total more than $60M in borrowing.

[@edwardellis3038]

When I go to Brooklyn from Jersey to attend Nets games it’s a pain to take the train. I prefer to drive. Otherwise I take the train.

[@AbuNewYorkCity]

New Jersey isn't integrated into the NYC Transportation system well enough.

[@Des_Zee]

NYC is where the taxes have taxes. That's why so many people are leaving there. You either have to be rich or poor to live there. The middle working class suffer. Before the congestion pricing fiasco, NYC already has multiple red light and speed cameras. Plus the MTA loves to spend money on things that aren't needed.

[@frankiorio8496]

The high crime rate on the subway will deter people from using it.

[@SamMcKinley]

Channel is great! You are fair to all regions.

[@diegoyanesholtz212]

The MTA should combat fare evasion, people using the subway and not paying for it.

[@fredfeng5716]

Most MTA users are paying the fares while drivers are paying much less considering how much recourse they consume

[@CasualCommuter_]

How about the 100% fare evasion where vehicles entering lower Manhattan don't pay to use the city roads? 😄 I do mean this as a joke, but really, the cost of motorists driving into the city is not covered by them, and it's the people who live and work in lower Manhattan who experience all the negatives.

[@diegoyanesholtz212]

@@fredfeng5716 I agree, but there are fare evasion in the MTA.

[@fredfeng5716]

@@diegoyanesholtz212 Too expensive to catch those tiny portion of ppl and it significantly reduces the rider experience. The fare invaded is less than 3% of MTA budget too, while drivers are basically paying nothing for the road use

[@tattoomesam]

Don’t get fooled… indefinitely paused she said. I was a lifelong democrat but seeing what’s been happening to this city with Democratic mayors De Blasio and Eric Adams I have switched parties. I usually volunteer for local politicians in my free time. They have been calling me recently and I had to tell them I’m no longer a democrat. I’m sure I’m not alone. Congestion pricing and dropping the speed limit and installing speeding cameras everywhere was the final straw. I love driving and feel like they are taking money from drivers more and more to support non drivers needs. I’m tired of government taking more and more control of my life and the freedoms I have. The democrats have been taking my vote for granted. They no longer have it.

[@pickled51]

The issue with Congestion Pricing (CP) that I found is that it was based on the fact that everyone who currently drives into Manhattan below 60th Street will ALWAYS continue to drive in to meet the CP toll goals. Otherwise, all the money the MTA thought they were going to get from the tolls would slowly disappear as more drivers switched to mass transit. Consequently, the MTA would be receiving less money every year from CP that was supposed to go to improving mass transit. Eventually the MTA would then be looking for new sources of revenue as the CP revenue dries up. What MTA needs to do is enforce fare collection on the subways. I believe in 2023 the MTA lost something like $350 million dollars from fare evasion. That's just ridiculous!

[@nytoaddis76]

more people on mass transit means more income for eta

[@brianalaborious5630]

Your logic is questionable

[@ComputerCurry]

Thanks for making this video so digestible!

[@AlexCrean]

As a musician born and raised in the New York area who has played gigs all over teh city for many years, Congestion pricing stands to severely negatively impact the cultural and musical prominence of New York City in the national and international scene. It would effectively kill small bar gigs in the “congestion zone”, which is where a majority of cultural landmark venues and neighborhoods where the music scene has traditionally thrived are located. The iconic ambiance that has contributed to the New York economy and night life by drawing people from all over the world to have the experience of attending concerts and seeing small local gigs all over Manhattan would be severely disrupted. Musicians who live outside the congestion area would just stop gigging inside it unless venues paid their fees, which would lead to expenses rising for both musicians and venues to the point that it would severely disrupt live music in NYC. After the pandemic, this would be a really catastrophic blow to an iconic part of the culture of New York that has already been reeling for years and is still just barely recovering in some respects. This would not be a positive change at all. It would undermine what makes New York a special and original and culturally iconic location.

[@Scrimjer]

We need doctors a teachers not musicians lol

[@broimsuperman]

@@Scrimjer why don't you become one then? Humans need entertainment.

[@Scrimjer]

@@broimsuperman I am musician

[@leftoverbacon]

the people who complained the loudest about the congestion pricing would never vote for her in the first place. She caved to folks who voted against her.

[@insertchannelnamehere8685]

I'm not sold on the whole people not taking trips thing; in that area, they did a study and the average business only had 3-5% of customers drive there, so even if a portion of those don't make their trip, the overall impact isn't significant. That's not to mention the potential increased trips that might be caused from reduced congestion and improvements in transit. And I'm not sold on the increased congestion elsewhere argument either-any through traffic that might divert on to the cross bronx or anywhere there would have had no reason to have been driving on Manhattan streets in the first place.

[@GGamer720]

Thank you! New York is one of the densest and most transit friendly cities in the world. There is no chance a few suburbanites refusing to drive in due to congestion pricing would significantly impact local business. I’m not convinced everyone in NJ would divert like 5 miles north to get below 60th st instead of just finding a route that uses transit either.

[@commodoor6549]

That 3-5% is misleading, since most people that drive through are only passing through Manhatan. The 3-5% refer to the people whose destination was actually midtown or lower Manhattan. Imho, this plan could've worked if rather than charging a $15 fee for just being spotted once on those street, they make multiple smaller amount charges. This would mean that those just driving through would pay a couple of dollars; this makes sense if what you're after is equity. But the plan looked greedy since it universally charged everyone the same prices even though not all commuters used the Manhattan streets equally. For example, those crossing into NYC from NJ via the Lincoln Tunnel would only get tagged once in a small amount before they entered the Henry Hudson (a free zone). And that small amount could be similar to charges seen in places like Boston, i.e., about $0.50, while those whose destination is Manhattan would pay more because they'd spend more time in the city. However, because parking garages would now be empty, prices for parking would substantially drop (supply and demand), which would offset the congestion pricing. And everyone would have been happy. I'd drive into Manhattan if I were only doing it for a special trip, especially if it would offset the parking costs. Except of course, politicians would be unhappy about the loss of tax revenues from businesses and parking garages. But charging people $15 for driving through an area for less that 10 minutes was bound to piss off a lot of people.

[@nytoaddis76]

I'm from the city, and I can tell you nobody from the suburbs drive downtown or if they do it is rare. congestion pricing will mean those rare times one drives in because they have to, for 15 dollars more, you dont sit in gridlock traffic, which is a nightmare. The one thing I disagree with is they should not charge in the evenings and weekends, when traffic is much less.

[@diastoleny]

Hard working middle class getting squeezed because the city is afraid to address the $750 million loss from fare evasion last year alone. What are your thoughts about the lack of enforcement and why?

[@bruhbutwhytho]

😂 only the rich drive in lower Manhattan

[@Chuck-n8tor]

Great video. First time watcher. Fan of the Theory of Congestion Pricing. I realize that there are some upfront capital costs for the infrastructure to collect the congestion pricing, but going from $0 to $15 for a passenger vehicle seems to be quite extreme. Maybe a less noticeable initial charge that ramped up over time or a surge pricing model might be more palatable to folks compared to a high fixed rate. Not an expert on this subject, but liked learning more about the current situation in NYC.

[@chunkemonke398]

I agree. The congestion pricing in Stockholm ranges between $2 to $4 depending on the time of day. Maybe reduce it to $7 during peak hours, because that’s much it costs to take the much faster, much reliable LIRR into the city (from Queens).

[@drbk1981]

Why charging more if the city is getting more expensive than ever…this is ridiculous 🙄

[@cathrynm]

This makes perfect sense.

[@pilotravis]

Overbuilt car infrastructure and suburbanization was a massive mistake in the first place. Now cities cow tow to their suburbs.

[@spore124]

10:44 "It is politicians, not engineers, not planners, who decide how the city looks". I get what you're saying, but you're also talking about the very same city scarred by Robert Moses.

[@justin423]

A first step would have been to toll the East River crossings.

[@palobomba79]

Very professional. This was a good video to watch on youtube . Thanks for sharing.

[@tdadp]

Let’s talk honestly back in Justin pricing New York City tried this a few years back the borough president of queens and Brooklyn had a conniption and said it would hurt their people and businesses to put tolls on the East River crossings so that never happened, but they came to charge everybody below 60. But they also collect congesting pricing every day from Uber Lyft and taxis the MTA collect money from drivers licenses. And car registration fees if you live in the metropolitan area, not to mention all your utilities your employers payroll taxes the MTA gets a lot of money, but they mismanagement all of it and they refuse to allow the Nypd in the fear of claiming racial bias and targeting subway stations that have a high number of fare vision

[@Demopans5990]

There is also history of the NYS government forcing the MTA to pay for various pet projects like a ski resort of all things

[@joselopez-nn1vn]

I agree with most of what you said that is absolutely correct on why the program has been stopped, but I will say that they should never put this program on. Yeah, I’m a driver so what but that’s not what I’m arguing the part where you spoke about displaced pollution is what I’m worried about. The fact that they say all this will clean the air is a fallacy. The pollution will just be moved into the outer boroughs where most of the property exist and it’s mostly black and brown people. There will be more congestion in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx also upper Manhattan. The people who live below the congestion zone are mostly affluent and don’t use public transportation. There are some poor areas and lower Manhattan, but not many. The MTA are the biggest crooks and all the true mafia in New York. They hold us hostage all the time and now they’re shaking us down saying that they can’t fix the system because they don’t have congestion pricing. That’s the same thing crooks would do if they’re telling you they sell protection. This congestion pricing problem has a lot of little details that all be addressed in one comment or a 10 minute video. I was born in raising the city and educated in the city through college and I’m telling you the congestion pricing scam is what is a scam. Believe me the MTA has enough money to fix the system. And other funding can be easily found in New York’s GDP is larger than more than half of the countries on the planet, so let’s get real about this and have a real detailed serious conversation about this. These people love using black and brown people as tools to get reelected or to get what they want believe me. This is not going to help us as much as they say. Trust me on that.

[@mikebruni9881]

I'm always skeptical of tax plans like this where if they achieve their ostensible goal, they kill the revenue that they're counting on. See also : Cigarette taxes. The closer you get to your stated goal, the more expensive you need to make it for those who truly have no other choice. The only people still paying NYC's exorbitant cigarette taxes are the hopelessly addicted who can't afford to take a road-trip to PA a few times a year to stock up.

[@kirgeez-gaming]

She will start it all over again after the election. Vote for whoever will tear it down.

[@GobbiExists]

Congestion pricing would be fine if the fare was lower… that’s my opinion

[@Demopans5990]

Ya know, there are worse ways to combat congestion. Singapore limits plates to be sold through auction only, and if you know anything about Singapore, its that Singapore is a very dense city with very little in car infrastructure, so just like NYC. Plates accordingly often sell for the equivalent of 30k USD, often going as high as $60K. If NYC is to implement a similar scheme, say with special city plates, expect to pay $100K just for the privilege of using the car within city boundaries. They can even go a step further, like many Chinese cities do, and limit the driving to only certain days of the week

[@ecoRfan]

It was certainly a flawed plan, notably with taxing trucks to get into town. That will drive up the cost of basically all goods, and even a decade ago, prices in Manhattan were outrageous. Plus the air quality will likely only worsen in the Bronx, Staten Island, Washington Heights, western Brooklyn on already at-capacity expressways. While transit is the best way to move people in NYC, congestion pricing plan had its flaws. While it’s had successes in other world cities, geographically America is different from other countries and more sprawled, plus NYC has its unique geographic challenges of getting freight and people in with most of the city surrounded by large bodies of water.

[@ecoRfan]

Could also “turn New Jersey into a parking lot” for those approaching NYC from the west, notably in Hudson, Bergen, and Essex counties. Especially Hudson County which is home to Jersey City, Secaucus, and Weehawken among others. That could be detrimental to traffic and air quality in North Jersey.

[@zqpcydbfoqbdiehdj]

Taxis make 90% of the traffic in NYC if you haven’t noticed. Even if the car looks “normal” it’s still has a T&LC New York license plate which is annoying.

[@Demopans5990]

@@ecoRfan New Jersey is already a parking lot

[@luxehairbyabena8295]

And I’m okay with them answering to their voting constituents. That’s the point!

[@awilder87]

Smh, such a political answer. And she named things she actually has power to fix, i.e. rent. I don't she her advocating for no broker fees or trying to help us not spend an entire paycheck solely on rent. Also, you need to fix MTA before you try to send more people to it to use and it's fraudulent at best.

[@davestewart2067]

Machine politics taken to an extreme.

[@DavidFoster-ef5vr]

I live in the zone. I'm not looking forward to paying more for everything for goods and services. I'm definitely against it.