5 ms·

NYC Congestion Pricing Delayed Indefinitely by Governor Kathy Hochul

39 points by walterbell 2y ago

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
pyronik19 2y ago
[dead]
melling 2y ago
“I’m proud to say we’ve stopped congestion pricing in its tracks,” said New York Congressman Pat Ryan Hard to believe driving into Manhattan is the best option for many people. Where are those maglevs (or trains) that were going to whisk people into the city at 100mph?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- lxgr 2y ago
  Compared to driving, the MTA and PATH already whisk people into the city at a breathtaking pace (for many routes during times of peak traffic, in any case).
  - melling 2y ago
    Hopefully someday people stop thinking like this and learn to expect better. Btw, I lived 12 minutes from the NJ Path for 25 years. When I imagined the future, I sort of expected better.
    - lxgr 2y ago
      I can both expect better and take a (pretty bad in comparison to other countries, considering the city’s wealth) train to avoid NYC traffic and parking.
- htrp 2y ago
  China.....
andersco 2y ago
Is it just me or is it incredibly odd and unexpected for a decision like this to come so late in the game? Why wait to delay until after so much time and effort has gone into making it happen?
- _3u10 2y ago
  Not really, it's unpopular, and therefore a bad idea to have pending before an election if you want to get re-elected. Politicians typically are smart enough to do unpopular things at the beginning of a term.
  - addicted 2y ago
    It’s not unpopular. Its quite popular within the city. The problem is that it’s unpopular with a tiny minority of suburban drivers but those suburban districts will be key swing districts during the upcoming election. Essentially it’s the risk of swinging a few thousand votes that led to this being paused. If it was actually unpopular it wouldn’t have survived 5 years of planning and wouldn’t have been voted in as law in the first place.
    - HDThoreaun 2y ago
      72% of suburban new yorkers opposed the congestion tax. There are 11 million such people so 72% is 8 million people opposed to this plan. Unfortunately thats as many people as live in the city itself, this was never going to be easy politically. Statewide polls show the tax is underwater
    - _3u10 2y ago
      If it was popular it wouldn't have taken 5 years of planning. Things that are popular and increase revenue for the govt get immediately passed before anyone changes their mind.
- lxgr 2y ago
  The article calls out the real reason: Because doing so polls well with critical swing voters for the upcoming election. What a shame.
automatoney 2y ago
I don't have super strong feelings on congestion pricing, but I'm a bit skeptical of anyone who says working class people are the major car users in NYC. But all that aside, why aren't we talking about the insantiy that is free street parking. I have to pay $$$ for my small apartment, but your car gets to hang out all day for free? If you live and work in Manhattan, especially the congestion zone, you don't need a car for personal use.
- lxgr 2y ago
  I was also very surprised to learn that this is still a thing in a place as dense as Manhattan. Bizarre.
anotherhue 2y ago
Here is a contact form for the Governor's office where you can voice your displeasure at this change: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
underseacables 2y ago
It's an election year. I expect this to return just as bad next summer.
Projectiboga 2y ago
First yes Manhattan needs some kind of residential parking enforcement. Those of us who live in the congestion zone sometimes need cars. While transit into the center of my city is good, getting to places out of the center or out of the city is much tougher. Bloomberg's original proposal was supposed to exempt residents at least for one crossing round trip per day. This governor blinked as this was going to cause a business slowdown in lower Manhattan. Traffic has already diminished over the last ten months. The issue is the MTA is wildly out of control with insane expenditures. Our last governor showed them up when they had this hair-brained plan to close our L train for over a year, he had experts from Europe come and show that the work could be done much cheaper and dramatically faster than MTA's own plan and that work got done cheaper and faster. I'm OK with congestion pricing for improving traffic and pollution I'm not OK with it subsidizing corrupt crony over priced contractor schemes.

39 points by walterbell 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

pyronik19 2y ago

[dead]

melling 2y ago

“I’m proud to say we’ve stopped congestion pricing in its tracks,” said New York Congressman Pat Ryan Hard to believe driving into Manhattan is the best option for many people. Where are those maglevs (or trains) that were going to whisk people into the city at 100mph?

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
lxgr 2y ago
Compared to driving, the MTA and PATH already whisk people into the city at a breathtaking pace (for many routes during times of peak traffic, in any case).
- melling 2y ago
  Hopefully someday people stop thinking like this and learn to expect better. Btw, I lived 12 minutes from the NJ Path for 25 years. When I imagined the future, I sort of expected better.
  - lxgr 2y ago
    I can both expect better and take a (pretty bad in comparison to other countries, considering the city’s wealth) train to avoid NYC traffic and parking.
htrp 2y ago
China.....

andersco 2y ago

Is it just me or is it incredibly odd and unexpected for a decision like this to come so late in the game? Why wait to delay until after so much time and effort has gone into making it happen?

_3u10 2y ago
Not really, it's unpopular, and therefore a bad idea to have pending before an election if you want to get re-elected. Politicians typically are smart enough to do unpopular things at the beginning of a term.
- addicted 2y ago
  It’s not unpopular. Its quite popular within the city. The problem is that it’s unpopular with a tiny minority of suburban drivers but those suburban districts will be key swing districts during the upcoming election. Essentially it’s the risk of swinging a few thousand votes that led to this being paused. If it was actually unpopular it wouldn’t have survived 5 years of planning and wouldn’t have been voted in as law in the first place.
  - HDThoreaun 2y ago
    72% of suburban new yorkers opposed the congestion tax. There are 11 million such people so 72% is 8 million people opposed to this plan. Unfortunately thats as many people as live in the city itself, this was never going to be easy politically. Statewide polls show the tax is underwater
  - _3u10 2y ago
    If it was popular it wouldn't have taken 5 years of planning. Things that are popular and increase revenue for the govt get immediately passed before anyone changes their mind.
lxgr 2y ago
The article calls out the real reason: Because doing so polls well with critical swing voters for the upcoming election. What a shame.

automatoney 2y ago

I don't have super strong feelings on congestion pricing, but I'm a bit skeptical of anyone who says working class people are the major car users in NYC. But all that aside, why aren't we talking about the insantiy that is free street parking. I have to pay $$$ for my small apartment, but your car gets to hang out all day for free? If you live and work in Manhattan, especially the congestion zone, you don't need a car for personal use.

lxgr 2y ago
I was also very surprised to learn that this is still a thing in a place as dense as Manhattan. Bizarre.

anotherhue 2y ago

Here is a contact form for the Governor's office where you can voice your displeasure at this change: https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

underseacables 2y ago

It's an election year. I expect this to return just as bad next summer.

Projectiboga 2y ago

First yes Manhattan needs some kind of residential parking enforcement. Those of us who live in the congestion zone sometimes need cars. While transit into the center of my city is good, getting to places out of the center or out of the city is much tougher. Bloomberg's original proposal was supposed to exempt residents at least for one crossing round trip per day. This governor blinked as this was going to cause a business slowdown in lower Manhattan. Traffic has already diminished over the last ten months. The issue is the MTA is wildly out of control with insane expenditures. Our last governor showed them up when they had this hair-brained plan to close our L train for over a year, he had experts from Europe come and show that the work could be done much cheaper and dramatically faster than MTA's own plan and that work got done cheaper and faster. I'm OK with congestion pricing for improving traffic and pollution I'm not OK with it subsidizing corrupt crony over priced contractor schemes.