Congestion Pricing An Utter Cash Grab That Crushes Locals And Small Businesses

Dear Editor:

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the implementation of the congestion pricing plan for New York City. While the idea of reducing traffic and improving air quality may seem appealing at first, the reality is that congestion pricing will disproportionately burden working-class families and small businesses. This tax imposes an additional financial burden on people who rely on their cars to commute, especially those in parts of our city with limited public transportation options.

Many cars are a necessity in life, not a luxury, as many younger people without a spouse, children, or elderly parents preach. Charging drivers to enter certain areas of the city will only make it harder for those already struggling to make ends meet. Moreover, congestion pricing fails to address the underlying infrastructure issues that contribute to traffic.

Instead of focusing on solutions like expanding mass transit, improving road conditions, or developing more efficient ways to move people and goods, this plan merely raises revenue by penalizing drivers. Finally, congestion pricing overlooks the needs of small businesses who depend on deliveries and customers who drive to their place of business. These businesses will be hit hard by additional costs, which could lead to higher prices for consumers and even going out of business.

The congestion that they claim to be alleviating has been caused by the narrowing of the roads for motorists. With the bike lanes, bus lanes, and outdoor eating, the MTA and DOT seem like they have no interest in the needs of motorists. They are responsible for the growing congestion and added pollution. We need to elect representatives who understand the needs of everyone and stop this money grab. Motorists, other forms of transportation, and pedestrians, must be treated equally. If one group has to pay this tax, everyone has to pay this tax. Let’s find solutions that address congestion in a way that is fair and sustainable for everyone.

Alan Sherman

Dear Editor:

I hadn’t planned to weigh in on congestion pricing – until a video surfaced shortly after the program went into effect. It showed an MTA leader, chosen by our elected officials, unveiling signage for the program along the roadway. The unveiling was staged outside, and though the elected officials themselves were to my knowledge absent, the cheering and celebratory atmosphere were appalling.

This program should have been rolled out quietly, without any fanfare. Instead, we were subjected to an orchestrated spectacle that was not only unnecessary but an outright embarrassment to our city and state. To celebrate a steep, regressive tax on everyday New Yorkers – already struggling to make ends meet – shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for the people these leaders are supposed to serve.

This was not a victory to be celebrated, but rather a grim necessity born of a difficult and hard-fought battle. Yet, the tone of the unveiling made it feel like a slap in the face to every hardworking resident of this city. Watching officials chosen by our elected representatives revel in this program’s launch was despicable – a twisting knife for those already burdened by the rising cost of living in New York.

We will not forget this insult, just as we did not forget when former Mayor Bloomberg held us hostage during the city bus driver strike in the blistering summer heat. That same disregard for the well-being of ordinary New Yorkers is on display yet again, and it’s unacceptable.

Governor Hochul, respectfully, must be held accountable for allowing this shameful display. She should be voted out for her part in this fiasco. As for Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced originator of this policy, he can abandon any hope of political redemption. And I firmly believe that a new federal administration will step in to dismantle this misguided program.

Real, everyday New Yorkers will not forget.

Sincerely,

Shabsie Saphirstein