[nalnq]

[flagged]

[pulisse]

Very few poor people drive into lower Manhattan. And people whose work requires them to drive in that area (delivery drivers, plumbers, etc.) come out ahead. One of the first NYT stories after congestion pricing was rolled out had multiple quotes from tradesmen reporting that they're saving an hour or more a day and prefer the new system.

[mjmsmith]

There was also an endless parade of NY Post stories about how Manhattan restaurants would suffer because their customers couldn't just drive in from Long Island and New Jersey.

[rtkwe]

The question becomes how critical is X and is there a close alternative. In this case I'd say for 95% of people yes driving is easily substituted by NYC's public transit options.

[theurerjohn3]

Im not sure this fits, they saw a much larger drop (18%) in heavy duty trucks entering the city, and a smaller drop (9%) in passenger cars. I am not sure the public transit options are close alternatives for heavy duty trucks.

[tengbretson]

For many people, the thing being substituted for an alternative is not "transportation into Manhattan", but more broadly "engaging in commerce in Manhattan"

[raldi]

Even without congestion pricing, the poor are the least likely to drive. Spending public money to subsidize driving (which we’re still doing on balance, even in Manhattan) disproportionately helps the wealthy.

[maerF0x0]

IMO it would be even better if was an auction based system, maybe 24/7. That way if someone has an <= $8.99 threshold/need to drive, and they find a slot, they will. I think the static pricing will create a distortion in the usage, maybe having dynamic pricing (with a ceiling) would be smarter?

[theplatman]

working class people are predominantly using public transit to get around nyc

this claim has been debunked many times and anyone with eyes can see who the private drivers in NYC are

[dchest]

Because it's economically infeasible to drive?

[ceejayoz]

Driving (and more importantly, parking) in NYC was never that much of a poor person thing.

[dchest]

This fits the template in the post you're replying.

[evanb]

You think it was primarily poor people who were driving their cars into Midtown?

[tclancy]

That’s two new accounts claiming to be worried about the poor. We could use congestion pricing in these kinds of threads.

[outside1234]

OR it encourages people to walk to transit which ALSO has positive side health benefits.

[bitwize]

Pigovian taxes WORK, and are in many cases desirable, something lolberts just seem unable to get their heads around.

[jpfromlondon]

Pigouvian*, this is a regressive tax though that is probably unnecessary as the other studies referenced or linked in this thread show.

[nalnq]

Of course they work. If the government manipulates the equation to make something unaffordable, the poor can no longer afford it. That’s not the point.