“I didn’t expect to be charged here,” the Con Ed worker expressed. “I don’t even have E-ZPass so I assume I’m paying the highest toll. It’s frustrating. I might avoid coming into the city for work. I’ll stick to the Bronx.”
“I’ll put in a request,” he continued. “I’ll ask my boss not to send me into Manhattan.”
Cab driver Ilias Karanikolis, 41, denounced the situation as “absurd.”
“I feel sorry for all the people who will be affected,” the Astoria resident lamented. “It will harm the less fortunate people here. Our business is suffering now. This will be detrimental to us. The city does as it pleases.”
In the meantime, the bridge has been transformed overnight due to Albany’s new toll on entering Midtown — it is no longer the sole toll-free route into Manhattan from Queens and Brooklyn.
Uber driver Ali Mohammed admitted he was unsure about how to adjust fares for passengers because of the new toll.
The new congestion pricing rule implies that the Queensboro Bridge no longer offers a free passage into Manhattan.
Drivers heading into Manhattan via the bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, will now face a $9 toll irrespective of whether they are heading to Midtown or north towards the Bronx and upstate.
One potential workaround identified by The Post on Sunday is taking the 62nd Street exit from the upper deck.
“How many times will they charge me?” complained Uber driver Ali Mohammed from Queens. “I don’t know how to manage this, how to charge people for the extra toll today.”
“I’m not prepared. I’m not equipped for this yet,” he added. “I spotted the sign yesterday but didn’t expect it to start this morning. How much will they make, a million dollars a day? Where does the money go? Someone is benefiting.”
Governor Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing initiative, which began on Sunday, involves a new toll for vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Manhattan lawyer Carlos Carbajal mentioned that his building’s parking garage leads onto 60th Street — falling within the congestion pricing zone.
Vehicles are charged $9 per day for entering the toll zone during those hours, with motorcycles paying $4.50, small trucks $14.40, and large trucks $21.60. Taxis, black cars, and rideshare drivers are charged 75 cents per ride for cabs and $1.50 per ride for rideshare vehicles.
The tolls decrease by 75% overnight, but drivers without E-ZPass will receive a notice by mail and pay a slightly higher fee — the exact amount remains unclear.
Officials stated that the funds raised through this contentious plan will support the MTA in financing its $15 billion capital plan.
However, for many New Yorkers, it signifies an additional financial burden, and few are inclined to use
Especially when accompanied by my wife or daughter, I find myself particularly discouraged from utilizing the subway system on weekends,” Carbajal expressed. In light of this, he disclosed that he is contemplating relocating his vehicle to an alternative parking facility situated a short distance away from his current building. “I am exploring the possibility of moving my car from my building’s garage to a nearby facility a block or two to the north,” he shared.
