About the cartoonist: Bob Eckstein is a writer, illustrator, author, and contributor of cartoons to The New Yorker and West Side Rag. Check out his popular newsletter, The Bob. And read the Rag’s Q & A with him — HERE.
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I figured he’s do it by jet pack.
these are hysterical!
I need the lowdown on the 60th Street tunnel
Some good advice here, especially re theater tickets.
You would need the tunnel to enter and exit in the other direction . Enter above CBD exit below.
Leaving the congestion zone is no charge.
Thanks but I don’t want to use the tunnel. I don’t even have a car! I’m just curious as to why there’s a secret tunnel in the first place.
Smoke Screen from rear of the car to obscure the camera?
So how are those fears about everyone parking on the UWS to avoid the congestion pricing charge working out? Can we finally put that irrational fear to rest now?
Agree! It’s early days but from a congestion reduction standpoint, CP is already improving traffic, even outside the zone.
On day 5? That’s how the long-term effectiveness of a policy is measured? Because the extra money that’s reached the subway system as of today is… ZERO.
Actually the MTA has been ramping up work it had to put off back when Hochul postponed congestion pricing in the summer. They’re using the projected revenue stream to secure billions more in bond funding. So the tolls are, in fact, already helping improve mass transit!
Yes and more operating expenses end up going towards debt service rather than day to day bus and train service which MTA is still cutting in borough bus redesigns.
Not sure what cuts you’re referring to, but I do see a lawsuit alleging MTA made reductions after Gov. Hochul cancelled congestion pricing last summer. Hopefully things will improve now. I’ll take more debt service and actual repairs over less debt and a crumbling transit system.
Correction: the tolls MIGHT, in the future, help improve mass transit. Reality: we’ve ALREADY spent – er, invested – $507mm on budling the CBD toll system – money which obviously could have but didn’t go directly toward mass transit improvement over the last 6 years.
I’d be ecstatic if it all works as advertised. Unclear how anyone would know at this point.
From today’s headlines on THE CITY: “Second Ave. Subway’s Next Leg Progresses With Promise of Congestion Pricing Funds”
And further down: “The revenue that is expected to be generated from tolling vehicles entering Manhattan on or south of 60th Street enables the transit agency to meet funding requirements to match a $3.4 billion grant the Biden administration awarded in November 2023.”
How long will it take the system to break even. A half billion dollars for a toll system. Did the MTA have the funds or does it have to first pay back loans of a half billion?
It’s a toll system. I think they’ll find the money somewhere.
Yes if there was going to be an increase in traffic and parking on the UWS you would have seen it by now.
this is why ultra liberals have been voted out of office around the country. Using specious, incomplete and anecdotal “data” to support a flawed policy that the majority of New Yorkers (and certainly NJ commuters) didnt want. If the city needs money for the subway, find a way to live within your means and make cuts elsewhere. The idea of living by a budget seems to have become a completely foreign idea in New York City.
Except that both NYC and NYS are required by law to live within their budgets.
Not a chance. Over the last 14 years, Jan and Feb have seen 10.3% and 14,7% less traffic thru MTA bridges and tunnels than the average month, and as much as 19.4% less than the busiest month, May.
Analysis excludes the Mar’20-Feb’21 period. Data are available on data.ny.gov.
We have no clue of the impact yet.
I haven’t seen more traffic in one week. I’m sure some people will never admit they were mistaken. It was always a weird idea to think that people would drive here just to take the train downtown.
Having fewer people come to the city, work visit etc is not a good thing.
I guess those tourists from the midwest who bring their cars to Manhattan are balking about the additional $9, which gets added to their multi-thousand $ hotel, parking, restaurant and theater expenses. Likewise the suburban couple who spend $500-$800 to drive in on a Saturday to park, eat and see a Broadway show. I guess we won’t be seeing them anywmore.
People act like this is a ban -it’s not! If your trip to the CP is so marginal that you wouldn’t pay $9 to take your car with you, then clearly it wasn’t very important. Otherwise take the train, problem solved.
The problem is that the loudest congestion pricing advocates have openly said that the purpose of congestion pricing is not to encourage people to use mass transit. Do not underestimate the power of the voter who takes the train five days a week and wants to drive in the one day of the week for a discretionary trip as a treat and now they have to pay this toll. They will pay the $9 and vote Republican in crucial areas.
Maybe the rents can finally come down
The real risk is that CP will make NYC so attractive & we continue to not build enough housing so rents continue to soar….
James Bond remakes for congestion pricing:
Live and Let Drive
Dr No Parking
AutoPussy
Hilarious!!
Subway surfing is NOT a joke! Kids are getting killed doing that!
This is a CARTOON spoofing Bond scenes. Not a literal primer of what/what not to do. If that were true, you might as well chastise for parachuting into the city as dangerous. Or using invisible cars…
One example of a parking garage “tunnel” drivers have gone through it backwards.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PX4a7k-Fsr0
Thanks, this is what I was looking for! Also it’s bonkers and I hope the people doing it get caught and ticketed.
People don’t do this. The parking lot enters from 60 and exits on 61, exiting the zone. No one got around the fee.
I’m not a Bond fan but I love the humor of this. Thanks for bringing us joy to start the weekend.