New York City Planning An Additional $15 Fee For Drivers In The Name Of Climate Change

It's almost as if New York City is doing everything it can to push residents out.

Under a new traffic congestion plan released by city officials on Thursday, the city is looking into charging drivers an additional $15 fee for anyone wanting to travel south of 60th street during the daytime. The goal is to use the funds to help upgrade the city's mass transit system, while also - you guessed it, reducing air pollution and bettering the climate.

This isn't just a cash grab to get more income from tourists. Everyone will be affected by this.

Any and all drivers who have cars (besides emergency personnel) will have to pay the fee. Taxis, that already are under enormous pressure from Uber and Lyft taking over the industry, will pay an additional $1.50 fee, while ride shares will add a $2.50 surcharge for each trip.

Businesses and companies will also be affected. Small trucks will have to pay $24 and large trucks will pay $36 daily. The funds will be collected electronically (Think of E-Z Pass). Vehicles will be charged a discounted rate from the hours of 9pm to 5am.

ALL VEHICLES WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE FEE

The proposal comes from New York's Traffic Mobility Review Board and will be voted on after New York's MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) holds public hearings this coming February.

If the measure passes, it would be the first traffic congestion plan for any American city and is modeled after similar programs in London and Stockholm. Although I'm sure those are lovely cities are not NEW YORK and everything that comes with it.

The new pricing model is being criticized by nearly everyone except the politicians who proposed it and government officials that will benefit from it. Taxi drivers are furious, passengers are going to be angry over the increase in surcharges, businesses that rely on daily travel are going to now have to pay an additional hundreds of dollars in pointless fees.

NEW YORKERS ARE LEAVING THE CITY

You can understand why many New Yorkers are skeptical about the government's plan that the money will go towards refurbishing, renovating and upgrading the city's metro transit system.

Why's that?

Because they have been lied to time and time again about how increases in ticket fares would be used to do the same thing and it never did.

New York City has been getting absolutely crushed since the Covid pandemic. Many of its problems have been self-imposed and the politicians can only blame themselves for why there has been a massive exodus of longtime (and wealthy) residents while having an influx of migrants.

One would think you would make things easier and friendlier for those that live or are traveling to the city. Instead, they are hell-bent on destroying the once great city's reputation.

And don't think this is just a New York City problem. This very well could be happening to your city sooner than you think as well.