Owning a vehicle or commuting into New York City just got a bit scarier. That's because conversations from about 10 years ago have cropped back up.
That's right. A congestion charge for Manhattan island is making the rounds again.
According to Governor Cuomo, New York City is choking on its own growth — more specifically, vehicular and foot traffic. Although it was pointed out that government officials decided to alter traffic patterns on main throughfares and also decided to reengineer avenues so that there were dedicated turning lanes, which effectively removed a lane for traffic to flow through, that seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
In addition, the transit system is broken and needs some more tender, loving care. How will the city and state obtain the funds they need?
The answer may just be the folks who drive into New York City below 60th Street. That includes trucks, taxis and ride sharing services, and even residents who have autos to get around. That's right: No one gets out of this congestion fee.
Considering crossing a bridge or tunnel costs upwards of $15 these days, what does an additional $11-12 fee to get to the busiest part of Manhattan sound like to you? Would it the barrier needed to alleviate traffic OR is it merely another cash grab by the state government to misappropriate the funds down the road?
Driving a car into the busiest parts of Manhattan could cost $11.52 under a major proposal prepared for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that would make New York the first city in the United States with a pay-to-drive plan...
...Trucks would pay $25.34, and taxis and for-hire vehicles could see surcharges of $2 to $5 per ride. The pricing zone would cover Manhattan south of 60th Street. In a key change from past efforts, drivers would not have to pay if they entered Manhattan by all but two of the city-owned East River bridges, which are now free to cross, as long as they bypassed the congestion zone...
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