It’s only regressive if you assume cars are a necessity, they’re really not in NYC. I sold my car after moving down from New England and haven’t regretted it, and it’s not an affordability issue for me either.
Also the rich will always have access to luxuries that poor people don’t. There will always be fancy restaurants and nicer clothes than are inaccessible to the poor, but that is separate from them having decent quality food and clothes, and maybe can go out to a nicer dinner every so often, just not a $500 tasting menu.
Cars in Manhattan were already “just for the rich”.
It’s simply making the rich think for a moment, before taking their car to the street. Which makes the streets safer for everyone who’s not rich.
It adds up. There’s plenty of wealthy, but not obscenely wealthy people in NYC who would think twice about paying $9 for no reason even if they can easily afford it.
I think you might be misunderstanding the non-$100s of millions wealthy class.
They still do normal stuff, like go to shows and eat McDonald’s while driving themselves instead of having a chauffeur.
Having your business pay the toll for a personal trip is embezzlement and most people wouldn’t risk that over $9.
If companies are reimbursing people for commutes into work, that’s probably not an approved tax exempt benefit so you would still need to pay income tax on that $9.
Having business pay for your tolls is absolutely not embezzlement. It’s part of your compensation package. When charges increase or even gas prices, you list it and get paid back. Of course that rarely applies to poor people.
Decades ago my outside accountant passed all travel expenses to my business as part of his fees. His hourly time even included driving travel time to the office.
Can you show the data? Because I find it extremely hard to believe multimillionaires would take the bus instead of being driven into the city in their limo.
And you’re making assumptions about what “rich” means.
People only making half a million are rich. They still drive their own car. Those are most of the personal vehicles being driven in Manhattan.
The people you’re thinking of, are the wealthy. There are only a few hundred of those people in the city, they aren’t a major driver of traffic anyway, so nobody cares about them.
congestion pricing doesn’t apply to public transit, which is the point. Take the damn bus to work. If it’s a long walk from your stop, you can buy an ebike with money saved from not maintaining a car.
I’d say almost anywhere in the US besides the NYC area, this would probably be true. Given public transit is the norm there, it hardly seems regressive. I don’t think giving the rich the privilege of taking care through the city is a good thing, but at least the city gets to take some money from them. It would be much better if health care ceos all took public transit. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure an outright ban on private vehicles would be strongly opposed by such people right now…
The poorer you are the less you can afford paying for it. This is really just a method of opening the streets just for the rich.
Regressive solution.
It’s only regressive if you assume cars are a necessity, they’re really not in NYC. I sold my car after moving down from New England and haven’t regretted it, and it’s not an affordability issue for me either.
Also the rich will always have access to luxuries that poor people don’t. There will always be fancy restaurants and nicer clothes than are inaccessible to the poor, but that is separate from them having decent quality food and clothes, and maybe can go out to a nicer dinner every so often, just not a $500 tasting menu.
Anyone who takes the bus knows this is bullshit
Counterpoint, this funds public transport which is cheaper than car ownership and driving.
If you are poor, this pushes you to take a train or bus which saves you money.
The only people this taxes is the rich which makes this a progressive solution.
Cars in Manhattan were already “just for the rich”.
It’s simply making the rich think for a moment, before taking their car to the street. Which makes the streets safer for everyone who’s not rich.
$9 doesn’t make any rich person think twice.
It adds up. There’s plenty of wealthy, but not obscenely wealthy people in NYC who would think twice about paying $9 for no reason even if they can easily afford it.
I don’t think they would ever have to pay it. It would be travel expenses on their accounting.
I think you might be misunderstanding the non-$100s of millions wealthy class.
They still do normal stuff, like go to shows and eat McDonald’s while driving themselves instead of having a chauffeur.
Having your business pay the toll for a personal trip is embezzlement and most people wouldn’t risk that over $9.
If companies are reimbursing people for commutes into work, that’s probably not an approved tax exempt benefit so you would still need to pay income tax on that $9.
Having business pay for your tolls is absolutely not embezzlement. It’s part of your compensation package. When charges increase or even gas prices, you list it and get paid back. Of course that rarely applies to poor people.
Decades ago my outside accountant passed all travel expenses to my business as part of his fees. His hourly time even included driving travel time to the office.
You’d think so, but the data clearly disagrees
Can you show the data? Because I find it extremely hard to believe multimillionaires would take the bus instead of being driven into the city in their limo.
The data this whole thread is about.
And you’re making assumptions about what “rich” means.
People only making half a million are rich. They still drive their own car. Those are most of the personal vehicles being driven in Manhattan.
The people you’re thinking of, are the wealthy. There are only a few hundred of those people in the city, they aren’t a major driver of traffic anyway, so nobody cares about them.
Is there any data that shows people making $500k a year are deterred by a $9 fee?
Going to work 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year is $2,250. The average garage price is $15 a day.
You might think that, but - they sure do like to complain about $9!
https://lemmy.world/post/23952553
You mean like how most things are anyways?
congestion pricing doesn’t apply to public transit, which is the point. Take the damn bus to work. If it’s a long walk from your stop, you can buy an ebike with money saved from not maintaining a car.
I’d say almost anywhere in the US besides the NYC area, this would probably be true. Given public transit is the norm there, it hardly seems regressive. I don’t think giving the rich the privilege of taking care through the city is a good thing, but at least the city gets to take some money from them. It would be much better if health care ceos all took public transit. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure an outright ban on private vehicles would be strongly opposed by such people right now…