By Froma Harrop / Creators.com
New York has been named the most traffic gridlocked city in the world with Midtown Manhattan the most congested part. For years, the city has tried to install congestion pricing to reduce the number of vehicles. The money collected would be used to fix the crumbling subway system.
How bad was the congestion? The intersections were so blocked by cars and trucks that pedestrians couldn’t even see the “walk” signs on the other side. When they figured it was their turn to cross, they would squeeze their bodies between fenders.
Now the fee for cars in peak hours is a one-time daily charge of $9, more for trucks and less for taxis, with increases coming later. So far, it seems to be working, and traffic is lighter.
Let’s dispense with the nonsense that the fee is an unfair tax on hard-pressed Americans; and that it’s all for the convenience of rich Manhattanites. That objection was raised by United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, who threw in a racial dynamic. He said the system was installed at the expense of “people of color.”
Mulgrew might enlighten himself by taking the subway and comparing the racial makeup of people there with commuters driving cars in Midtown. (Only 5 percent of Midtown workers commute by car.)
So much of the reported griping has centered on reporters sticking mics through car windows. That’s like asking attendees at Yankee Stadium how they feel about the Red Sox.
And what about all those aristocrats grabbing poles on the subway? The money raised will provide $15 billion to improve the experience.
As for the drivers in Midtown, they should benefit from hours saved through lighter traffic. Arguments that the extra cost of driving would hurt Midtown businesses are wrong. The opposite is true. Time is money, right? Pedestrians will feel safer. The air will be sweeter.
Politicos in the suburbs are vowing to stop this “tax” on their residents. They include Republican Rep. Mike Lawler north of the city and New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy complains that “New Jersey has never been meaningfully consulted on the design of this plan.”
Funny, but New Jersey just raised tolls on three major roadways. We didn’t hear anyone in Jersey hollering about that. Nor did New Jersey ask New Yorkers for their opinions on the matter.
It’s been noted that commuters into Manhattan already pay tolls approaching $20. Yes, and they were still driving, and congestion had never been worse. Mike Bloomberg, who as mayor proposed congestion pricing over a decade ago, famously noted that New York (meaning Manhattan) is a “luxury product.”
London has had congestion pricing since 2003, and its economy has grown. At first, the fees sharply reduced the number of vehicles. The traffic is reportedly back, and that could happen in New York. If that’s the case, so much better for the subways.
The original plan was to charge $15 for passenger vehicles and to start the program in June. Alas, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had to gum up plans, first by delaying implementation and then lowering the charge.
What happens in New York will be closely watched by other American cities dealing with the stress and lost hours of commuters stuck in traffic. They might notice that once the system was in place, everyone got used to it. There were warnings that New York nightlife would die after smoking was banned in public places. Didn’t happen.
The first day of congestion pricing saw few glitches. By the second day, local newscasters were calling the calm after the storm of opposition “an anticlimax.”
Congestion pricing has finally come to New York. Hallelujah.
Follow Froma Harrop on X @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com. Coyright 2025, Creators.com.
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