TAXES A New York state task force, assembled by the state governor, called for charging a daily fee of $11.52 or higher to drive into congested areas of Manhattan during peak times. It was a plan to reduce gridlock on the streets and raise money for the city’s struggling, 114-year-old subway system.
Congestion pricing is an idea that has come and gone for over 70 years, but this time, it seemed as if it would actually happen, thanks to a $500,000 promotional campaign and initial support from local lawmakers. At the last minute, however, almost all of the lawmakers decided to oppose the plan. Reasons for the failure include:
1. It was focused only on Manhattan, ignoring the other boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island), making constituents in those boroughs resentful.
2. It would add an additional financial burden to New Yorkers. “Families cannot afford paying additional hundreds of dollars a month on top of the rising costs of living,” said one lawmaker from Brooklyn. “It is unfair to subject working-class people to these costs without guaranteeing an equal value of increased benefits.”
3. It was opposed by 52 percent of people surveyed.
4. It included a $2 to $5 surcharge on for-hire vehicles, including Ubers, Lyfts and yellow taxis, meaning that even people who did not go to the congested areas would still have an additional financial burden.
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