“Hochul, along with other politicians and MTA officials, said congestion pricing has come with many benefits since it launched on Jan. 5… But are New Yorkers, in fact, noticing and “appreciating” congestion pricing? The reviews are still somewhat mixed, based on some of the people amNewYork spoke to for this story. Some remain convinced that it’s just a money-making scheme.” —amNY
Pro: Congestion pricing is a forward-thinking policy.
Con: If you try to explain it to people, their eyes will glaze over like you are describing the plot of a Terrence Malick film. They will immediately get the impression you think you are better than they are. They will think that you will use any basic conversation or human interaction as an excuse to flaunt that you understand congestion pricing. They will be right.
Pro: It can help people see transportation solutions beyond cars.
Con: Hey, cars are people too.
Pro: It reduces the number of traffic accidents and injuries.
Con: Putting the final nail in the coffin of the dignified and esteemed ambulance chaser business.
Pro: It helps curb greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
Con: Imagine how much more expensive New York City will get when people find out you can breathe the air here.
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Pro: It makes it easier to cross the street.
Con: The Trump administration is seeking to limit ways pedestrians can legally cross the street.
Pro: Congestion pricing is kind of fun to say.
Con: If you say it out loud three times, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will appear and explain why he thinks a New York City policy is bad for the state of New Jersey.
Pro: It worked well in London.
Con: Being a copycat is so completely uncool.
Pro: More New Yorkers are incentivized to take the subway.
Con: Then who will be on the streets???
Pro: It gives you something to fight with your relatives about that isn’t Donald Trump.
Con: The Trump administration is seeking to limit Americans’ ability to have conversations around topics that are not Donald Trump. The ACLU has pledged to fight the ruling, at which point the Supreme Court will ultimately decide in Trump’s favor, Sotomayor dissenting.
Pro: Most people affected by the toll are affluent and can afford the eventual $15 fee, the price of one negroni at a medium-nice gastropub.
Con: Now you’ve got me upset about congestion pricing and the price of negronis???
Pro: It allows for cars to more easily share the road with cyclists.
Con: Some of us moved to the Big Apple with dreams of murdering cyclists.
Pro: It may make things more like New York City in the 1970s, or maybe less like New York City in the 1970s, depending on who you ask.
Con: No one knows exactly what this means, only that it’s important at all times to be talking about what it was like in New York City in the 1970s.
Pro: It generates billions of dollars in revenue for New York City.
Con: The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate the existence of New York City. The ACLU has pledged to fight the ruling, at which point the Supreme Court will ultimately decide in Trump’s favor. Sotomayor dissenting.