Congestion Tax in Place in NYC – A Reason to Celebrate?

Foreign concept but there are people who enjoy big government and welcome additional taxation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held a celebration to kickoff New York City’s new congestion toll fees. That’s right – people gathered around a sign announcing the “Congestion Relief Zone” at 60^th Street and held a countdown as if it were New Year’s Eve.

Motorists entering Manhattan at 60^th Street or below will be charged $9 if in a car or SUV, $14.40 for non-commuter buses, $21.60 for big rigs, and $4.50 for motorcycles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to cover a $33 billion budget deficit, and per usual, the people are on the hook for the bill. The MTA is seeking to generate $68 billion over the next five years, and this congestion tax is one of many new fees coming to NYC area as the new toll tax is expected to generate a mere $15 billion.

Governor Kathy Hochul is utterly clueless. She plans to bribe families with an “inflation refund” by shelling out $500 checks to households in a move that will cost the state $3 billion. We saw this fail during the pandemic when citizens earning beneath a certain threshold were bribed to stay complacent. Hochul said she would not raise the income tax in 2025, but nothing is ever off the table.

“Your tolls pay for: better transit, cleaner air, safer streets, a livable NYC. Thanks!” one resident shared on a sign that they brought to the opening ceremony. Seriously, these people have no idea what they are celebrating. Commuters who cannot afford the tax will be forced to take the trains which are notoriously unsafe. In fact, there was a stabbing on the Metro-North on the very day that the congestion relief zone was implemented.

Rideshare programs have been lobbying for this tax for years. Uber paid $2 million from 2015 to 2019 to encourage congestion taxes. Lyft personally donated $18,500 to Kathy Hochul’s campaign to champion congestion taxes. Both companies plan to raise fees to cover the cost of the tax. “We spent millions of dollars funding message testing, research, lobbyists and grassroots organizing to help those that have been fighting for congestion pricing for decades,” Uber admits in a statement on its website, later stating, “We do this because we are a for-profit company and good, robust, public transportation is good for business, reducing the need for car ownership and increasing use cases for Uber.”

“Congestion relief” is political rhetoric. It’s NEW YORK CITY — one of the busiest cities in the world! Goods and people must still enter the city, and these fees quickly add up. The people are on the hook for the budget deficit and the people are also on the hook to cover the fees that will ultimately be passed down to consumers. It is absolutely astounding that there are people who cheer higher fees as a result of government mismanagement.