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Why not charge tourists a special subway rate (++) and finance the repairs that way, instead of creating 'exclu$ive zones' of movement.
by eternalban 8y ago
Why not charge tourists a special subway rate (++) and finance the repairs that way, instead of creating 'exclu$ive zones' of movement.
- Alex3917 8y agoThe point of congestion pricing is to reduce car traffic, air pollution illnesses/deaths, pedestrian injuries/deaths, etc. The fact that it can also pay for the subways is just an ancillary benefit.
- brownbat 8y ago> pedestrian injuries/deaths The Dodgers actually got their name from the high rate of pedestrian fatalities in NYC, albeit from trolleys. Traffic has been causing problems in NYC for over a century.
- CydeWeys 8y agoBecause that won't achieve the goal of easing congestion in downtown Manhattan by reducing the number of vehicles entering it.
- eternalban 8y agoWe don't mind the congestion in "downtown" Manhattan. The article also clearly stated the justification was raising funds to fix our daily encounter with 3rd world in subterranean Manhattan -- and I believe I can speak for the entire city of New York here -- we mind very much indeed.
- CydeWeys 8y agoWhich "we" are you speaking for here? I live and work in Manhattan and I definitely am negatively affected by all the vehicle congestion, along with everyone I know. The vast majority of us here don't own or drive cars, and having fewer of them around will be much better for walking, biking, and taking the bus. You can't possibly deny that the intent of congestion charges is to reduce congestion. That's been the intent (and effect) in every other major city it's been implemented in across the world. The simple fact of the matter is that single occupancy vehicles can't possibly scale to meet all the transit demands of an urban area as dense as Manhattan, so they need to be deprioritized in favor of more scalable modes of transport. Reclaiming car lanes for dedicated bus lanes and cycle lanes would be a great first start. Frankly, this doesn't go nearly far enough. All of the free on-street parking in this zone needs to be removed as well, with people paying the true cost of storing a vehicle on the most valuable property in the US. That'll get rid of a lot of the vehicles on the streets and we can reclaim that space for much more productive uses. Many of these vehicles only move on alternate side parking days anyway, so there's really no reason they should be here at all. Charge the $500+/month that space is actually worth and they'll be gone.
- ams6110 8y agoTourists don't use the subway much. It's rather confusing and even scary.
- jshaqaw 8y agoScary? It’s not 1978 anymore.
- zone411 8y agoIt's definitely not 1978 in terms of violent crime but haven't you encountered aggressive panhandlers or obviously mentally ill people? If there is something violent going on, the vast majority of passengers won't intervene (see the recent attack on an elderly woman where everyone was just filming).
- qpotlpus 8y agoI’ve lived in NYC for 20 years and take the subway 2-4 times a day, often with my little kids. I can’t remember ever really feeling unsafe.
- steveeq1 8y agoI don't get it. What happened in 1978?
- jdavis703 8y agoSource? I’m just one person, but I use the subway every time I’m visiting in NYC, and don’t find it confusing or scary.
- diebeforei485 8y agoI suspect tourists would be frequently paying this when they get in a cab from the airport. Most commuters do not drive into the congestion zone anyway, they generally park-and-ride.
- jogjayr 8y agoHow would you even identify tourists to charge them extra? Make everyone show address proof before buying a ticket? Who's even a tourist? People living out of city limits or the state? That rules out large swathes of daily NYC commuters or weekend visitors.