Aiexpress – When the city’s congestion charge went into effect on Monday, angry New Yorkers got rid of their cars and faced the freezing weather and the subway, which was becoming more dangerous.
People who have to go into Manhattan for work said they were afraid to use public transportation because of a string of disturbing crimes on the network. The streets were covered in snow.
Some people said they were afraid that their coworkers would use the congestion charge as an excuse to start working from home again.
Starting January 5, drivers will have to pay $9 per day to go into the city’s “congestion relief zone,” which is anywhere south of 60th Street.
The move was briefly stopped by New York Governor Kathy Hochul because she thought it could hurt local Democratic candidates. This is the first time that congestion pricing has been used in a US city.
The toll is meant to help fix the subway system and get traffic moving again in the country’s most crowded city.
But the move is not liked by many people and comes after a string of scary attacks on public transportation.
Debrina Kawam, 61, was killed on December 22 when an illegal immigrant from Guatemala set her on fire after she fell asleep on the train. He was caught a few hours later and is now being charged with first-degree murder and setting fires.
The next week, DJ Joseph Lynskey, 45, was seriously hurt when he was pushed onto the train tracks on New Year’s Eve.
People who attacked at 18th Street stop did not say why they did it.
It’s getting “more dangerous” in subway stops.
To calm people down, volunteers from the group Guardian Angels, which fights street crime, have been taking the trains.
A group of 100 people got together on Sunday to support the new method by chanting “pay that toll!”
But on Monday morning, people in New York said they had to take the subway, which they think is dangerous, because the congestion charge would put extra strain on their family budgets.
Antonio Cabrera works as a security guard in Manhattan. He comes to work every day from Rockland County, which is about 30 miles north of Midtown.
He took his electric car into the city every day until Monday and parked it outside of his building.
But because Mr. Cabrera can’t pay an extra $180 a month for a bridge toll, he has to drive to the George Washington Bridge, take a bus, and then take the train to work.
There are problems with crime and other things on the train, Mr. Cabrera told The Telegraph.
The retired police officer said he has had “bad experiences” with public transportation in the past and is worried that some places are becoming “more dangerous” because of “rowdy customers and homeless people.”
“It’s making me mad.” It’s cold, and it’s snowing right now. I need to take the train or the bus.
“You keep your head turned around.”
Bryan Haughton, 58, works in a mattress store in Midtown. He usually takes the bus from the Bronx to get to work, but on the weekends he drives because there is free parking.
Now he has to either take the train all the way to work or park further away and take public transportation.
He is afraid to take the train after 7:30 p.m., when he says “a different type of crowd” gathers in the cars.
“Pay attention and keep your head on the swivel a little longer.” He told them, “Don’t fall asleep and kind of like, keep an eye on what’s going on.”
In the last gubernatorial race, he voted for Ms. Hochul because he thought she was the “lesser of two evils.” But now he isn’t sure if she will get her vote again next year.
A lot of people in New York, including Mr. Haughton, were worried that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wasn’t doing enough to catch people who skip paying for the train by jumping the turnstiles.
“I believe that’s where the money goes missing.” “I mean, people are crossing even when there is a police officer right there.”
Mourdy, a finance worker who did not want to give his last name, said he is worried that the congestion fee will make people work from home again out of concern for train safety.
He told The Telegraph as he got his car from a shop in Midtown, “I think people are just going to stop coming in. It will make people want to work from home again, which will set us back.”
“Someone went after Covid.” They were finally brought back to the office. Now I think people will use that as a reason not to come in.
“Train riders don’t feel safe.” Would the governor really like to help the city? If so, why not fix the problems with the trains and transit systems and make sure they are safe before deciding if people should have to pay to enter the city?
“Because of safety concerns, I haven’t used the subway in a long time.”
Paul Panettiere, a 58-year-old limousine driver, and Bryan Williams, a doorman at the Lowes Hotel, are also upset about the choice. Both voted for Ms. Hochul but said they won’t do it again.
Mr. Williams, 57, said, “People are tired because these politicians seem to think they’re smarter than working people based on what they do and say. They don’t seem to realize that what they do and say affects us.”
That was also said by Charlie Reyes, 46, who owns a food truck.
He said, “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” as he wrapped hot bacon and egg sandwiches in foil for people who wanted to freeze them.
“Yes, it will have an effect on us because, you know, we have customers coming in. They park next to me, get out, buy something, and then leave.”
“It does affect a low-income person like us… It’s only $50 a week, in the end.
A lot of people are against the plan, including Donald Trump, who promised in his first week in office to “end” congestion charges.
Phil Murphy, the Democrat governor of New Jersey, is another opponent of the program. He has even sued it.
There are also problems with the plan from the United Federation of Teachers, which is a big group for Democrats in New York.
For more than 30 years, Aleksandr Iskhakov has been a cab driver in the city. He said that traffic on Monday did not seem to have slowed down.
“That doesn’t look good.” He said, “There are still a lot of cars in the city.”
He said it wouldn’t affect him because taxis get paid less and users pay an extra 75 cents per trip.
On Monday morning, traffic seemed to be bad around 61st Street, which is just above where cameras have been put on the gantries to make sure people pay.
“This much traffic has never been seen at 61st Street and Madison before. This intersection is usually clean and free; you fly here. But everyone is trying to stay north of 61st Street to avoid paying that $9, so it’s backed up here.” The city is very crowded right now.
