Congestion Pricing

MTA kicked off public hearings over Zoom last night. It seems from the speakers so far the majority of commenters were against it in what looks like its current form (hard to tell because of the lack of transparency into details so far). What impacts do people here predict? Personally I am not a fan. This has largely been driven by TransAlt while being funded by Uber and Lyft. TransAlt has... [more]

MTA kicked off public hearings over Zoom last night. It seems from the speakers so far the majority of commenters were against it in what looks like its current form (hard to tell because of the lack of transparency into details so far). What impacts do people here predict? Personally I am not a fan. This has largely been driven by TransAlt while being funded by Uber and Lyft. TransAlt has mandated Congestion On Purpose mandates for 3 decades so I find their commentary on "congestion reduction" disingenuous. I think it's going to be bad for any number of small businesses in the zone who are already suffering (take a look at Herald Square area retail vacancy). I also think drivers are going to take longer routes to avoid the tolls just like they did for decades with the Verrazzano and still do with the untolled East River bridges and this will actually lead to increased road wear and pollution. [less]