The MTA on Monday touted the first week of its controversial state-imposed congestion pricing plan in Midtown Manhattan, but critics say the agency's calculations are quite “fuzzy.”
Transportation officials say “anecdotal reports” indicate that the new $9 per vehicle fee that began on Jan. 5 has made traffic in congested zones smoother and shortened commute times. , said it shows more New Yorkers are taking city buses. The numbers don't apply exactly.
“The MTA’s calculations aren’t just vague, they’re vague,” City Councilwoman Joanne Arriola (R-Queens) quipped on Monday. “I believe in their mathematical skills as much as I believe in the Second Avenue Subway timeline.”
MTA officials told reporters that in the first week of the plan, travel times on the upbridge were reduced by 40%, and traffic south of 61st Street was down 16% and 7.5% from October. spoke. Same period as last year.
For example, the agency said the SIM24 was able to cross the Lincoln Tunnel 7 minutes faster than last year, and the B39 bus was able to cross the Williamsburg Bridge 3.9 minutes faster.
“I think it's clear to everyone here that it's been a very good week here in New York,” Juliette Michelson, MTA's deputy director for external relations policy, told reporters Monday.
“Look out the window. There's less traffic and the roads are faster. I think everyone can see it.”
Well, not everyone.
“It's too early to burst the champagne,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella told the Post. “People will do everything they can to avoid paying the $9 toll.”
Susan Lee, a leader with New Yorkers Against Congestion Charges, said the MTA's analysis misses some very obvious facts.
“January is usually the slowest month of the year,” said Lee, a Tribeca resident. “Some areas have less traffic, while others have more than average traffic as drivers avoid paying congestion tolls. The MTA should be careful what it celebrates.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the MTA omitted another important statistic.
“Common sense tells us that a 16% reduction in traffic equates to 16% fewer people buying coffee, eating, shopping, and generating economic activity,” Blakeman said. “This claim is outrageous, as anyone who owns one should understand.” “This is a tax on hardworking families who live in and commute to Lower Manhattan.”
Mayor Eric Adams pointed out at a news conference that the congestion pricing plan did not come from City Hall, but New Yorkers and Big Apple commuters are having trouble dealing with it.
“I think we need accurate numbers to be accurate,” the mayor said of the MTA press conference. “I just let the process play out.
“Right now it’s the law of the land and the worst thing I can do is create more hysteria about the law of the land, especially [when] I can't control anything [it]” he said. “We are a creature of Albany. Albany made the decision. The MTA made the decision.”
Meanwhile, Alphonse D'Amato, an Island Park resident and longtime former state senator, said the state's congestion pricing plan will eventually force people out of the Big Apple.
“This is nothing to celebrate,” he said. “It's not good. It's no good.”
