re: Congestion pricing in NYC appears to be a success so far

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To give him the benefit of the doubt.....I tried searching for what the frick he was talking about. He really is completely full of shite.

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It was a while back. Everything I said happened (except, maybe, the homeless encampment, although it was terrible everywhere the last time I was in the city, pre-COVID of course - only took transit trains, no subways for that last trip).

So, no homeless in the stations? On the subway? On transit trains? On the street? Broadway? In front of the library?

I'm just making that up?

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So, no homeless in the stations? On the subway? On transit trains? On the street? Broadway? In front of the library?

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They only attack if you look them in the eye.

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Greatly embellishing something from 6+ years ago to fit your narrative? Almost certainly

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I said I didn't ride the subway on the last trip - just transit into/out of Penn. And, I actually drove in Manhattan that same trip, which probably puts me in the 1% of TD posters who have that experience.

I haven't spent months in the city, but certainly weeks. At least 15 separate trips, sometimes for 2 weeks at a time. I actually like the subway. It would likely beat taxi, uber and driving yourself with a stick. I liked taking the train from Laguardia to Penn and then walking to the hotel. I liked taking the train from Trenton to Penn. If it is less than 15 to 20 blocks, I'm more likely to walk.

But, I can tell you, factually, that the experience degraded from the mid-90s to the 2010s, particularly from mid-Bloomberg on (so maybe I'm giving him too much credit for Giulani's work?).

Maybe the natives don't see it as clearly as the occasional visitor?

Probably already stated but that initial tweet is inaccurate. They are on track to reach $500MM in the first year, they have not gotten that much already.

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$200M+ in revenue, 67,000 fewer cars a day

According to the MTA, Congestion pricing’s total net revenue for 2025 so far totals $219 million, and it appears on track to meet its goal of generating $500 million this year for transit improvement projects.

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I do find it interesting how govt brags about how much money they've taken off their constituents.

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The reviews are still somewhat mixed, based on some of the people amNewYork spoke to for this story. Some remain convinced that it’s just a money-making scheme.

“I personally think it’s a money grab,” Mary Mattucci of Staten Island said.

Others, like Manhattan truck driver David Palermo, believe it’s done little to reduce traffic both within and outside the toll zone.

“I drive a truck in Manhattan five, sometimes six, days a week and I can tell you for a fact that it takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to get from 80th Street and Second Avenue to Houston and Second Avenue,” the driver described. “If you’re lucky you might make it in an hour on a good but very rare day.”

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That all said if NYC wants to put shite in place like this to further bilk their residents, I say go for it.

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Maybe the natives don't see it as clearly as the occasional visitor?

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I’m an occasional visitor. I haven’t seen any of the issues you’ve mentioned.

Mayor Adams rounded up most of the homeless and shipped them off. That’s why Dems in NYC hate him.

This is actually more of a free market concept. Paying the increase is 100% voluntary, you still have a solution to reach your destination without paying any extra money. Golf courses, bowling alleys, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, airlines, etc offer discounts to bring in more customers during slow times, thus having higher prices during busier times. I am for small government so don't think I am banging the drum for bigger government, I am not. In this particular case though, I don't see this action as terribly despicable, because it actually gets results (assuming the accuracy of the report), and citizens are not being legally forced, they still have a choice.

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Taxation to mass manipulate citizen behavior is quite often successful, the real question is the moral and ethics of the tactic.

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What’s the real difference between this and a toll road? I’m cool with toll roads, pay to play. If you don’t use the road, you don’t have to pay for it

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This is actually more of a free market concept. Paying the increase is 100% voluntary, you still have a solution to reach your destination without paying any extra money. Golf courses, bowling alleys, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, airlines, etc offer discounts to bring in more customers during slow times, thus having higher prices during busier times. I am for small government so don't think I am banging the drum for bigger government, I am not. In this particular case though, I don't see this action as terribly despicable, because it actually gets results (assuming the accuracy of the report), and citizens are not being legally forced, they still have a choice.

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Hard disagree that it is free market. The citizens paid for the roads through taxes, and are now forced to pay even more taxes to use said roads.

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What’s the real difference between this and a toll road? I’m cool with toll roads, pay to play. If you don’t use the road, you don’t have to pay for it

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Unless the toll road is designed to pay for itself or the infrastructure on said toll road, I'm not fans of those either. True pay to play is one thing, but these roads already existed, and fuel taxes are still being used to pay for the maintenance and upkeep.