Downtown congestion pricing system

[just east of the creek]

It is being reported in a number of places that NY City has just past a major hurdle in implementing a congestion plan for vehicles for NY City. The city wishes to charge a daily variable toll for vehicles entering the CBA with a reported fee of up to $23 per entry.

I think this is good news in general. And if NY takes it up, others will follow, and perhaps, just perhaps, Toronto would as well. I would applaud any such move directed at ALL private vehicles, regardless of point of origin. Add in taxation on parking, reduction of on street parking that parallels bike lanes (it just does not work and the economic impacts are minimal), add transit priority in all situations, and direct all those funds to transit in general, and I think we have the makings of a real change within the city.

And if anyone is interested, or it matters, I am a car owner, and a transit user.

 

[allengeorge]

Apparently NJ is putting up quite a fight on this.

At any rate, my understanding is that the congestion pricing will only impact Midtown Manhattan downwards. It will be ‘interesting’ (read, crappy) to see the impact on the BQE all the way out to Staten Island. At any rate, congestion pricing is something I support - as are road tolls (and yes, I drive as well.)

 

[Admiral Beez]

Apparently NJ is putting up quite a fight on this. At any rate, my understanding is that the congestion pricing will only impact Midtown Manhattan downwards.

It’s dead. Paywall free here: https://archive.is/d1Whm

How Governor Hochul Decided to Kill Congestion Pricing in New York

Although the governor said she long feared the program might hurt New York City’s economy, she never disclosed her reservations, leaving some feeling betrayed.

www.nytimes.com

Now, since the State is responsible for the NYC subway, the flip flopping governor must now find the $1 billion the metro needs to undertake repairs from every taxpayer in the State.

If NYC and its governor cannot get to congestion pricing, what hope does Toronto city hall and the premier have of ever putting the same into place here? IMO, the process needs to be flipped, instead of coercing people onto transit through punitive fees, entice them with good transit. And then, once transit is sufficiently reliable and safe, you can then enact congestion prices and reduce the amount of general revenue used for transit by the amount generated by the congestion fees.

 

[afransen]

I'm not sure it's dead dead. It sounds like the governor was pressured by the federal Democratic leadership not to go ahead with this a few months before a tight election. It seems like they were also surprised by the amount of blowback. Would not be surprised myself to see if pop back onto the agenda next year.

 

[allengeorge]

It’s dead.

I would be shocked if Hochul puts it back on the agenda. It’s been kicked by two governors for close to a decade. Also, the current Mayor has not been particularly transit or bike friendly; a lot of his inner circle are proudly car-oriented, which is why you’ve heard no anger from him over the state of affairs.

That all said, the MTA is in serious trouble and needs a ton of cash to just maintain the system, and now the governor just blew a 1 billion dollar hole in their plans. Her first proposal of a payroll tax on NYC businesses was voted down - which was inevitable. It was wild messaging: claim that NYC businesses are struggling and need out-of-towners as a justification for killing congestion pricing - and then turn around and try to tax those very same businesses to plug the hole she created. I’m glad it blew up in her face. Now it’s her s*** sandwich, given that states can’t run deficits.

The stupid thing is that she did it because of political fears. I HIGHLY doubt there is a large subset of Democratic voters who dislike congestion pricing so much that they were willing to switch their vote to Republicans - and will now switch back.

 

[ARG1]

The stupid thing is that she did it because of political fears. I HIGHLY doubt there is a large subset of Democratic voters who dislike congestion pricing so much that they were willing to switch their vote to Republicans - and will now switch back.

A good portion of the traditional Democratic voterbase is like this.

 

[allengeorge]

A good portion of the traditional Democratic voterbase is like this.

Like what? Switchers? In the NYC suburbs in New York?

No. And increasingly not after Trump.

There is a core of the mushy middle that is getting smaller.

That said, the war in Israel and the migrant crisis have caused some unexpected dynamics. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more New York Democrats take more Republican positions on the border.