New York City’s heavily debated congestion pricing plan finally, officially went into effect early Sunday morning after a rollout plagued by years of legal challenges and delays. Reaction to the program, which will levy a $9 base toll against most drivers traveling at or below 60th Street in Manhattan, has naturally varied wildly, with some singing and others rejecting it as an unfair tax on commuters.
Outlets across the city have been collecting reactions from New Yorkers and their neighbors as congestion pricing debuts. Here are some of the joyful, angry, and mixed reactions from those affected:
Anger
amNew York Metro spoke to one man, John Saffir, who was strongly against the new toll. “It really pisses me off,” he told the paper. “It’s a scam. I’m not against it for passenger vehicles during rush hour, you know, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. or something like that. But this is such bullshit.”
One New Jersey woman told FOX5 that she supports Governor Phil Murphy, who has mounted legal challenges against the toll program in an effort to stop its implementation. “We hope it gets appealed. A lot of people who work and go into New York for things — doctors, work — can’t afford another $9,” she said.
City Councilmember Vickie Paladino has been a consistent opponent of congestion pricing, and maintained her stance, writing on social media on Thursday, “Nobody outside of a very slim minority of deeply misanthropic transit activists actually want this.”
On the eve of the program’s start, the Queens Republican appeared to suggest a way that New Yorkers could take their opposition to the toll cameras into their own hands:
Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, who many expect to make a run for governor, criticized Kathy Hochul for backing congestion pricing. “The worst Governor in America just fleeced hard working New Yorkers of their money,” he wrote on X.
Excitement
New York’s Christopher Bonanos was on the scene for Curbed on Saturday evening as about 150 supporters of congestion pricing convened on the intersection of 60th Street and Lexington Avenue to ring in the start of the program at midnight. He described the moment when it became official:
As Saturday turned over into Sunday and activation of the cameras neared, the participants started a countdown for the final ten seconds, tooting a couple of horns that were likely left over from New Year’s Eve. They waved and hooted as the stoplight turned and the first car passed under the cameras. It was a black four-door sedan whose license plate began with T: an Uber, of course. A few seconds later, a ground-hugging black sports car with a deliberately growly exhaust system roared through, then slowed down so its passenger could capture a brief video of the crowd. Then its driver revved the engine, as if to snort, and peeled out down Lexington Avenue.
…
So, yes, it was at least a moment for cautious celebration. People discreetly popped corks and poured a little prosecco out into paper cups, offering them to the faithful. Another chant got going, this time referring to the intended recipient of the tolls: “Take the subway! Take the subway!”
On social media, Émilia Decaudin, a former Democratic district leader, said they and their friends were some of the first to travel through the congestion-pricing zone. In a video they shared, a minivan with the words “JUST TOLLED” on the back window and cans trailing behind it can be seen driving through the gantries.
Hell Gate spoke to David Marmolejo, a DoorDash delivery driver, who seemed optimistic that congestion pricing will curb the dangerous driving trends he saw emerged following the pandemic. “I think congestion pricing is a thumbs-up. If I had four thumbs, I’d give them all up,” he told the outlet.
The New York Times spoke to Maurice DiMaggio, a contractor (and descendant of Joe DiMaggio) who said his commute from New Jersey to Manhattan took one hour on Monday morning compared to the usual two. He told the outlet that he’s in favor of the program if it continues to keep his commute time down. “I would rather have an hour not in the vehicle, in traffic,” he said.
Avoidance
Some drivers are apparently looking outside the law to find ways to avoid the new tolls. New York Post reported that several cars were spotted near the congestion pricing zone with license plates that have been altered to obscure the numbers from the cameras. The plates featured numbers that had been scratched out or painted over that could help drivers evade being charged a toll.
However, the Department of Transportation recently proposed a new set of rules intended to crack down on obscured licenses plates, expanding the categories of violations to include barring the use of”dirt, rust, glass or plastic coverings, substances, or materials” to distort plates.
Wariness of the alternatives
Chris Nunez told CBS News that he moved out of New Jersey due to the impending congestion pricing. “When congestion pricing first started coming, I said ‘I’ll have to move back to New York,’” he told the outlet. “Sold the car, taking the train full time.”
However, he said he still had concerns about taking the subway as part of his commute. “It’s not safe,” he said. “Police need to do a better job walking up and down the platform.”
Bus rider Jennifer McGonigal told Spectrum News that she’s hoping bus speeds will increase because she’s worried about taking the subway. “Nowadays it’s too dangerous. Every other day you are hearing about someone getting slashed, somebody getting robbed, someone getting pushed onto the tracks,” she told the outlet.
