It is absolutely what keeps this region alive,” Taylor said. “If you really want to make sure the New York City region has a healthy economy and grows, you have to contribute and invest in this public transportation system. Tiffany-Ann Taylor, VP of Transportation at Regional Plan Association, sees congestion pricing as an opportunity to address the transportation system’s contribution to “climates of sustainability.” “The way that I see it is that we need to start somewhere and if there are effects on certain communities over other communities, that’s the sort of thing that we can adjust later on, but by and large, we need to get congestion out of Manhattan,” Coleman said. By raising toll prices, that money will be used in an effort to modernize and improve the current transit system. Having monitored transportation modes closely, Coleman believes that opponents of congestion pricing have it all wrong.Ĭoleman argues that the way that we could actually help small businesses is by investing in the ways that people are already coming into their businesses: public transit.
Jess Coleman, a Manhattan Community Board 1 Member, contributes to the transportation committee. I will gladly pay 7,000 dollars a year to get half an hour of my day back,” Karounos said. “I spend three hours in the car every day to move 34 miles. But his success in the food industry does not mean he is personally exempt from New York’s congestion. Theodore Karounos, owner of “Square Diner”, says “I don’t see this hurting my business one way or the other, right? I don’t really get anything in the way of car traffic business, at least I don’t think so, you know, most of my customers are tourists, locals, and people who work in the neighborhood.” With most of his customers being locals that are in or near the neighborhood, his diner is a quaint spot in Tribeca where customers can enjoy a hearty meal. “A certain amount of your business relies on clientele that come from outside and if it’s not easy for them for whatever reason- their age, their scale of subways- if it’s not easy for them to come in except for through vehicle of some sort, that basically cuts that revenue stream off completely.”Īccording to the New York Public Transit Association, 56% of people use public transportation as their preferred mode of transportation, making them the majority. “I have a lot of people coming in from places, they see a culturally competent service who sells what they are looking for and I think that’s true for many businesses in Chinatown,” Lok says. Jane Lok, a small business owner of a kitchen appliance shop in Chinatown, generally agrees with Hershkowitz. We’d be penalized for working,” Hershkowitz said. “Congestion pricing is going to be a disaster for all small businesses, especially ours since we are a delivery-oriented business. Sharon Hershkowitz, a small business owner of “Balloon Saloon” in Tribeca, says that congestion pricing will have a negative impact. But many small businesses worry that the city’s plan to implement tolls will decrease their clientele and revenue, ultimately extinguishing them from their community Small businesses play an essential role in New York City communities, from delivering specialty curated balloon decor, and serving home-cooked meals in train car diners, to providing cookware specifically geared towards ethnic cuisine. City agencies have already held 13 public meetings to address the concerns of impacted neighborhoods. According to the New York Times, New York City may soon levy a surcharge of up to $23 on vehicles that enter Manhattan below 60th Street. In an effort to reduce street gridlock and bring funds to the cash-strapped M.T.A. Now, New York is pushing to become the first city to implement such a program in the U.S. Stockholm, London, and Singapore have already seen benefits from implementing this system: it reduces congestion, cuts car-related pollution, and provides a new source of revenue for public transit.
#NYC CONGESTION TOLL DRIVERS#
Congestion pricing is a tax imposed on drivers entering car-clogged cities.
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