We have been somewhat disappointed in the way the debate over congestion pricing – one of the day’s hottest issues – has been going. Of course, we’ll all have to wait and see whether or not President Trump’s efforts to pull the plug succeeds. But it is still unfortunate that the focus has largely been on the particulars of its implementation and not on the overall context. In other words, we fear that we have been risking missing the forest for the trees. And the context is a profound one and very much the stuff as being waged by his surrogate Elon Musk.
Thus, as summarized by the Next City news organization, discussions on congestion pricing have typically centered on several important issues from both pro and con perspectives. The pros stress that it will reduce traffic congestion; improve public transit by generating new funding; contribute to cleaner air quality; and by improving traffic flow businesses can operate more efficiently and potentially see increased productivity.
The con side emphasizes that congestion pricing disproportionately impacts low-income individuals who may or may not have access to alternative transportation options and are forced to drive into congestion toll areas; that some businesses located in congestion toll areas may experience decreased customer traffic if people avoid driving there due to the congestion toll; and that setting up and managing a congestion pricing system can be expensive and require yet another bureaucracy for monitoring and enforcement.
But as we see it, the central concern should be about the fact that according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s own figures congestion pricing in New York is expected to generate about $500 million in its first year based on the $9 initial level of financing. This is projected to rise to $700 million annually when fees are raised to $12 and to nearly $1 billion by 2031 when $15 tolls will be introduced.
So, we’re talking about a lot of new money to be sucked out of New York drivers, on top of the already existing bridge, tunnel and highway tolls already in place.
Yet the Blue Ribbon Report on MTA Fare and Toll Evasion – commissioned by the MTA itself – revealed that in 2022 alone, the last year evasion figures were released, nearly $700 million in revenue was not collected. (This figure included $315 million lost in bus fares, $285 million in subway fares, $46 million in bridge and tunnel tolls, and $44 million in railroad fares.)
So, where is New York’s Elon Musk and DOGE when we need them?
