SAVE CONGESTION PRICING
Congestion pricing is NYC’s plan to reduce traffic and fund the MTA by adding a toll driving into the CBD. It will result in cleaner air, safer streets, better transit, and less traffic for drivers who need to drive. It encourages drivers to take transit or drive at off-peak hours.
Gov. Kathy Hochul CANCELED congestion pricing just 25 days before it was set to go into effect. She said that it would “create another obstacle to our economic recovery.”
Opponents of congestion pricing say that congestion pricing is expensive and hurts low and middle class New Yorkers, as well as disabled New Yorkers. Many say that they as a resident in Manhattan they should not have to pay to drive home.
However, there are discounts for low income New Yorkers, and exemptions for disabled New Yorkers. Many say that it benefits the rich and harms the poor and working class. Additionally, many say that people from Staten Island can’t take transit because it doesn’t exist.
To the argument of driving home from residents of the CBD, it encourages residents to park uptown and take transit down if they can’t or don’t want to pay the toll. It’s not ideal, but it helps create less traffic.
I think that most importantly, less traffic saves lives. Emergency vehicles in NYC are often stuck in gridlock in the moments were seconds count. Congestion pricing and less traffic allows emergency services to reach their destinations faster.
nyc fact/tip #4:
the metrocard, the fare payment system used on new york’s subway and bus system (opreated by the mta) is in the process of being replaced!
the metrocard will be replaced by omny, which stands for one metro new york. it allows contactless credit and debit cards and mobile wallets to simply tap on the payment terminal.
it is already in use on all subway turnstiles and bus doors! if you visit new york, there is no need to buy a metrocard! all you need to do is tap your contactless credit/debit card on the omny reader. skip the long metrocard machine lines and just tap and go! you can make an omny account, but it isn’t necessary.
if you need to pay with cash, your best option is to see if there is an omny card vending machine (which are in the process of being rolled out), or else just by a metrocard (unless you are willing to go to a convenience store that sells omny cards).
in the future, omny will (hopefully) also be on other transit in the area, like the lirr, metro-north, nice bus, bee-line bus, and more.
learn more about it at omny.info
nyc fact/tip #3:
if you visit nyc, please stand to the side of the sidewalk and stairs when stopping to see directions. this helps let people get to where they need to go without you in the way!
nyc fact/tip #2:
there have been 2 subway derailments within the last week. one on the 1 train, and one on the F train. no major injuries were reported.
nyc fact/tip #1:
the new years eve ball drop in times square happened yesterday night. hundreds of thousands of people attended the celebration from all over. people start getting a spot early in the day, as it’s first come first serve, but there aren’t any bathrooms you can get to without losing your spot…