New York becomes the first U.S. city with a congestion charge despite opposition

[IbogaProject]

19. EZ pass and licence plate readers, some within the zone

This has been implemented as a cash grab with almost zero focus on actually reducing congestion. Some of these readers are within the zone, I fear I'll get hit when I move my car to avoid the unnecessary 90 min street sweeping, twice a week, which is also a regressive cash grab. There is near zero enforcement on out of state plates using residential street parking, which are likely linked to tax evasion as well. The goal isn't to reduce congestion and the law mandates them repressively raising a billion dollars per year, they have already set $1 per year minimum increases and are required to fill any revenue shortfalls with increases. They are already scheming to increase the zone size as they know they won't hit $1B in 2025 and may never hit it. I fear it is a quiet real estate play to gut affordable local owned retail too and to further clear out lower tier office space to make it ripe for conversion. Mayor Bloomberg's original proposal would have gone to 96th street and exempted any individual who is a tax filing resident of the zone. Now the only break is for those with incomes under $50K, and then only after 10 full charge days per month, then it is just half price. I hate to say it this is giving our party a bad look. The MTA has needed a forensic audit for decades now. Coumo asked for one in 2019 but all that has happened is over priced "reviews". We pay nearly 8 to 10 times more per mile than any other transit project in history adjusted for local purchasing power parity and exchange rates. The MTA is a sinkhole of corruption and incompetence. I pray that ticket sales to Broadway, Sports and other entertainment collapses. I fear that the backlash will give the GOP an angle to slither into our city government after having one of theirs, Mayor Adams who was in the GOP until he ran for office, making our party look bad.