NYC Congestion Pricing

[1995hoo]

My father, who grew up in Flatbush, said his Boy Scout troop always went to Staten Island for camping trips because it was in the middle of nowhere.

[Max Rockatansky]

The concept of someone growing up and feeling as though Staten Island is in "the middle nowhere" is bizarre to me. 

[kalvado]

The concept of someone growing up and feeling as though Staten Island is in "the middle nowhere" is bizarre to me. 

Same people who think "upstate" starts at 60th street. 

[Rothman]

The concept of someone growing up and feeling as though Staten Island is in "the middle nowhere" is bizarre to me. 

Give it a visit sometime.

Of course, back then, Staten Island was infamous for one of the largest landfills in the world...so...camping...blech.

[Max Rockatansky]

The concept of someone growing up and feeling as though Staten Island is in "the middle nowhere" is bizarre to me. 

Give it a visit sometime.

Haven't been since 2000.  I was supposed to go with Jessica to Manhattan a couple years back during a December but go pulled into a work thing.

[1995hoo]

The concept of someone growing up and feeling as though Staten Island is in "the middle nowhere" is bizarre to me. 

Me too, but then, bear in mind they also had to take the ferry from 69th Street in Bay Ridge. My father grew up in the 1950s. Staten Island was far more rural prior to the bridge.

[roadman65]

Before the Verazanno Bridge was built Staren Island was like NW Arizona from the rest of it's state.  Connections only from Utah is their source of access. Staten Island had three crossings into New Jersey only.

[MikeTheActuary]

The New York Times has an article looking at the effects of congestion pricing 1 year in (gift link):

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/05/upshot/congestion-pricing-one-year.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CFA.MC7T.zH-z1QEiofHt&smid=url-share

[The Ghostbuster]

Based on those interviewed, the majority seem to believe that congestion pricing is a success. Perhaps more areas will be congestion priced in the future.

[kalvado]

Based on those interviewed, the majority seem to believe that congestion pricing is a success. Perhaps more areas will be congestion priced in the future.

Of course that's the intention, increasing revenue for MTA. My impression everything else is relatively minor.
I may have to dig out papers they refer to, but most other effects seem marginal, if not just wishful thinking. E.g. they advertise 4% increase of vehicle speed - while the variation is 10% within a year.
-10% reduction in traffic is claimed compared to historic data (from hub travel report), but those numbers do not quite match "historic average" (until they carefully averaged covid years into the data - and that would indicate congestion pricing cut even more trips) But even then,  5% year-to-year variation did happen before.
So data quality appears low to me. That doesn't mean conclusion is wrong (or right). It means tabloids are being tabloids. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Here is a story I found on my Bing Homepage about the Congestion Pricing of Manhattan: https://futurism.com/future-society/nyc-congestion-pricing-results.

[kalvado]

Here is a story I found on my Bing Homepage about the Congestion Pricing of Manhattan: https://futurism.com/future-society/nyc-congestion-pricing-results.

Every wanna-be journalist and their dog are publishing something on congestion pricing anniversary. NYTimes at least made an effort to have a strong C+, with a hope for B-, for their writing...

[roadman65]

I was reading Weekends, overnights,  and holidays the Congetion fees are not in effect.

[kalvado]

I was reading Weekends, overnights,  and holidays the Congetion fees are not in effect.

The peak period toll rate applies from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The overnight toll rates are 75% less than the respective rates in the standard peak period

[roadman65]

I was reading Weekends, overnights,  and holidays the Congetion fees are not in effect.

The peak period toll rate applies from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The overnight toll rates are 75% less than the respective rates in the standard peak period

That's what it was. Glad that you clarified.

Not to sound pessimistic,  but I thought no toll was under the " Too good to be true" hypothesis.   Considering, in addition to the fewer vehicles on the city streets its bringing, more revenue. So to let people go for free is a loss of extra cash to officials.

[Roadgeekteen]

It seems like disapproval of the program has dropped since it was introduced. Still wonder if there is a way to tell how many of those fewer drivers switched to transit or just didn't go.

[1995hoo]

I'd be interested in knowing to what extent there's been an uptick in things like the use of dark-tinted license plate covers, license plate flippers, and other things to obscure a plate number to make it harder for the authorities to track down cars driven into the congestion-charging zone without an E-ZPass. I know New York has been making an effort to crack down on fake paper license plates for several years now, of course.

[kalvado]

It seems like disapproval of the program has dropped since it was introduced. Still wonder if there is a way to tell how many of those fewer drivers switched to transit or just didn't go.

It would be pretty difficult as statistics is affected by return-to-office process. Claim is 50-100k less cars daily, but 300k more paid subway rides than in 2024 - and probably a lot of unpaid ones. Ridership is still  significantly below 2019 though.

[Plutonic Panda]

In other news, water is wet seriously what are you are a good consider successful for charging the toll for people to drive anywhere. As if they already pay for registration tags and taxes not to mention the car they bought.

[1995hoo]

In other news, water is wet seriously what are you are a good consider successful for charging the toll for people to drive anywhere. As if they already pay for registration tags and taxes not to mention the car they bought.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what your first sentence is trying to say, other than that I think I can discern that it expresses opposition to the congestion charge (based on the context derived from your second sentence).

[Plutonic Panda]

In other news, water is wet seriously what are you are a good consider successful for charging the toll for people to drive anywhere. As if they already pay for registration tags and taxes not to mention the car they bought.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what your first sentence is trying to say, other than that I think I can discern that it expresses opposition to the congestion charge (based on the context derived from your second sentence).

Yes, you would be correct. I do not like congestion zone charging.

[The Ghostbuster]

Like it or not, I would be very surprised if zone charges aren't implemented elsewhere in the future.

[kalvado]

Like it or not, I would be very surprised if zone charges aren't implemented elsewhere in the future.

Problem is that they would be happily implemented not only in areas where there is no room for traffic and  decent public transportation exists to allow people get around - but also as a plain money grab where people don't have options other than pay up. 

[ElishaGOtis]

Like it or not, I would be very surprised if zone charges aren't implemented elsewhere in the future.

Other than the fact it was done for the pure intention of reducing congestion and making driving so difficult that you don't (really don't like this way of doing things...), how is this different from the other "toll islands" that exist?

Genuine question...

[Plutonic Panda]

Like it or not, I would be very surprised if zone charges aren't implemented elsewhere in the future.

I could see it happening in somewhere like Portland, San Francisco or Seattle. Maybe even Denver. But I'm still skeptical that it's gonna happen anytime soon in another US city New York City is a different beast altogether.

I think it's more likely to happen in Canada than anywhere else in North America. What would be nice if New Yorkers will get together and put it into it but that's obviously not gonna happen.