Additional to yesterday’s submit, one of many massive attracts of the TD 5 Boro Bike Tour is that it takes riders over the Verrazzano, the big-ass bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island that’s fully closed to bikes each different day of the 12 months:
The upshot of that is that there’s no approach to journey a motorcycle immediately between Staten Island and some other a part of town. After all you may take your bike on the free Staten Island Ferry, although that’s no good if you happen to’re vulnerable to sea illness and/or impatience. I imply who the hell needs to cease driving and anticipate a ship? Not ready for stuff is all the level of driving a bicycle:
Aside from crimson lights. At all times cease at these crimson lights, children:
Nicely, the MTA understands how essential the Verrazzano is to the journey, as a result of apparently they’re making an attempt to shake Bike New York down for extra money to make use of it:
I assume first they tried to extort the New York Metropolis marathon, and that didn’t work, so now they’re focusing on these wimpy bikers:
Hey, I’m not naive; I do know Bike New York isn’t some babe within the woods. They’ve obtained the largest journey going, plus a phalanx of free laborers like Esteemed Commenter Leroy, and I’m positive they’re making out fairly rattling good. In truth just about everyone seems to be making hay: Bike New York, the Metropolis of New York, the MTA, the NYPD, the porta-potty rental operations, the murderous cartels who management the worldwide banana business…. So I’m positive it’s all a part of an elaborate dance during which the MTA tries to fleece Bike New York for somewhat extra money, then Bike New York tells the New York Put up who’re at all times up for somewhat controversy during which they’ll quote an indignant firefighter, after which the porta-potty vendor jacks up its charges as a result of world warming is leading to overripe and consequently much less binding bananas, which suggests extra porta-potty cleanup, and it’s all a part of the limitless whining and kvetching that we New Yorkers name “negotiating:”
However, the MTA’s declare that they need to compensate for misplaced income bears additional examination. Okay, I don’t know what Bike New York paid to make use of the bridge this 12 months, however final 12 months Bike New York paid $90,000:
Presumably that doesn’t account for the misplaced toll income whereas the bridge is closed to motorists, which appears to be what the MTA is complaining about. Now the bridge is closed for like half a day. On a Sunday. In the meantime, the MTA can be on the cusp of introducing congestion pricing, the said objective of which is to scale back visitors:
Sure, it’s not the one objective, it’s additionally imagined to fund transit enhancements, however that is the one folks cite most frequently and as you may see above it’s the very first thing the MTA mentions on the congestion pricing web page. I need to say I’ve at all times been extremely suspicious of this declare. The MTA wants cash, badly. Do we actually suppose they’re introducing one other toll as a result of they’re hoping folks gained’t pay it? One of the best ways to scale back visitors in Manhattan could be to shut an increasing number of streets to motor automobiles, which might not solely cut back visitors however improve transit ridership, and permit buses to maneuver extra rapidly, which might profit the MTA by way of each elevated fare assortment and extra environment friendly operation, after which flowers will bloom and birds will sing and we’ll all maintain fingers and sing songs as we skip via the streets of Manhattan.
However as a substitute, the identical company that’s telling us they’re introducing a toll they hope folks gained’t pay is telling us {that a} freaking bike tour wants to provide them extra money as a result of they’re not amassing tolls on a single bridge for a couple of hours one a 12 months.
One thing doesn’t add up.
To be clear, I’ve no drawback with congestion pricing, at the least in idea. For one factor, it doesn’t have an effect on me within the slightest, as I drive The Automobile That I Personal into what is going to quickly be the congestion zone nearly by no means. They might cost you $200 to drive into Manhattan beneath sixtieth Avenue or no matter it’s and it wouldn’t imply shit to me. For an additional, after all drivers ought to pay “their justifiable share” (no matter that’s), and there are too lots of them, and we’d like higher transit, and safer streets, and all of that stuff. Principally, it’s simply that I don’t suppose any of that is going to occur, and whereas I’m pleased to be confirmed incorrect, I’m prepared to make a gents’s guess that, assuming it goes via, in a 12 months or two we’ll see headlines within the New York Occasions like this:
Congestion Pricing Was Supposed To Scale back Site visitors And Enhance Transit. It Hasn’t. What Occurred?
So why do I believe this? Nicely for one factor, I stay in New York, and I’m alive and sentient. For an additional, we’re at all times instructed that New York Metropolis drivers are profoundly entitled, and that congestion pricing has been a hit in locations like Stockholm, and London. So what does congestion pricing appear like in these locations? Right here’s the deal in Stockholm:
It’s a most of 135 SEK, which is like twelve American Enjoyable Tickets.
In the meantime, right here’s London:
Fifteen Kilos Sterling is like Eighteen American Enjoyable Tickets, which is loads lower than it was final time I used to be over there, when that cash would have purchased you a home in Jersey.
In the meantime, what different tolls are the drivers of London and Stockholm subjected to? So far as I can inform, nearly none. As I perceive it, there’s like one different toll someplace within the London space, and the entire UK has like 23 tolls. As for Sweden, I don’t suppose they’ve any tolled roads in any respect.
Right here’s what New York Metropolis seems like:
These are simply the tolled crossings that go out and in of town itself. After all, that is New York (and New Jersey), so naturally totally different bridges and tunnels are tolled by totally different bloated companies. Listed here are the tolls on the sunshine purple crossings:
And listed below are the tolls on the darkish purple crossings:
Have in mind this doesn’t embody the tolled highways exterior of town such because the New England Thruway, the New York State Thruway, and the New Jersey Turnpike, or any of the opposite tolled crossings within the area. And sure, you may theoretically drive anyplace within the metropolis (besides Staten Island) and keep away from paying a toll, however generally it’s so circuitous that it’s not value it. (Or you may simply use a bullshit faux or obscured license plate, which is a complete different drawback.)
I’m not saying “Gained’t somebody consider the poor motorists?,” however I’m saying the concept that the drivers of the New York Metropolis metropolitan space are cruising round at no cost whereas their dutiful counterparts abroad are paying their method like good, penitent residents is way from correct. Greater than that, I’m additionally saying that there’s an absolute fuckload of tolls round right here–and but folks drive anyway, an increasing number of each single 12 months. Town alone most likely has extra toll roads than lots of the world’s international locations, and one way or the other this one is gonna repair every thing?
Certain it’s.
In any case, if you happen to categorical skepticism over our model of congestion pricing, which in response to the advocates will resolve visitors, repair the subways and buses, remedy local weather change, and reverse male-pattern baldness, you can be branded a NIMBY and all types of different acronyms. Nonetheless, I believe that is odd, when it’s such a disingenuous method of undertaking one thing you may do in a couple of weeks by pedestrianizing extra Manhattan streets. If anyone, you’d suppose it might be the advocates who could be most crucial.
However what do I do know?
