As much as Eric Adams is a POS, the MTA is a state “agency” so most of the corruption occurs at the state level.

But hard agree with you. The funds will never actually help the people who need the help.

MTA buses are exempt but they are raising fares anyway.

There are a LOT of private commuter buses though (Academy Bus Lines come to mind) - also NJ Transit or the private lines from north and east of the city. I don’t know if they are exempt.

Just a slight correction to your post - it isn’t NYC leadership per se. The final call is made by the NY State governor as the MTA is regulated on the state level.

I don’t do it a lot but there are times when I just cannot take public transit - like when I need to bring packages to my relatives. Or like this week when I need to bring my cat to the animal hospital in Manhattan. It’s very difficult to bring my cat to her appointment by public transit or Uber/Lyft/Taxi.

My rare driving into the zone is negligible but every car on the road contributes to the traffic.

Agreed. The next phases should keep expanding the zone until there is an equilibrium across all the travel routes.

Definitely agree. It’s just something that will always push traffic to the adjacent area. Eventually it could be all NYC then Westchester county will become the traffic inheritor.

You bring up a valid point though. Many trucks will just chalk it up to an additional expense and keep driving through Manhattan.

Definitely not faster. But cheaper. It adds another $21.60 per truck right now.

There are a few community organizations that are bringing attention to it. Everyone is waiting to see if the reality matches the predictions. It just went into effect today.

Definitely agree. It needs to be implemented in a way that won’t punish the adjacent communities unfairly.

There is one downside that I don’t think people consider enough when discussing congestion pricing:

Trucks will now find alternate routes that will hurt poorer neighborhoods.

Example: In order to go between New Jersey and Long Island, some trucks traditionally take routes through Manhattan as it is geographically faster to go crosstown than to detour north or south.

In order to drive from New Jersey to Long Island, to avoid the new congestion pricing trucks will most likely take the George Washington Bridge, drive through the South Bronx, and come down into Queens via the Throggs Neck, Whitestone, or RFK Bridges.

The South Bronx is about to absorb a LOT more of that traffic. Anyone taking the Major Deegan or Bruckner during rush hour knows it’s already beyond fucked with traffic.

Now, the traditionally poorer residents of the South Bronx are about to experience more air pollution, more noise, more road repairs, and majorly slower travel time anywhere.

Congestion pricing doesn’t remove the traffic, it just re-routes it into poorer neighborhoods.

(NOTE: I am a NYC car owner and still for congestion pricing. NYC should be way more pedestrian and bike friendly and while this program has downsides, it is a step in the right direction.)