Wednesday’s Headlines: Congestion Pricing is Good for Business Edition

As President Trump considers whether to kill the only good thing about New York City right now, we hope he’s not listening to N.J. Gov. “Flail” Murphy, but instead to New York’s elite business community.

Because as Politico reported on Tuesday, the fact is, congestion pricing is working, not only for regular drivers who are enjoying faster commutes for a small fee, but also for business owners. (Despite the president’s belief that it is killing the city economy, we got new evidence from NYU on Tuesday that congestion pricing is doing just fine.)

As Politico put it, “The Partnership for New York City … is trying to salvage the policy known as congestion pricing by using classic Republican arguments about taxes, cutting red tape and states rights. ‘In every respect, this is a policy that President Trump and the Republicans should be supporting,’ Kathy Wylde, the industry group’s leader, said Monday on WNYC.”

Wylde added, “The concept of congestion pricing — a market-based Republican principle — is that you’re not just raising taxes,” noting (are you listening, Mr. President?) that congestion pricing is ultimately a conservative idea, honoring the rule of supply and demand, as well as being preferable to raising taxes.

So progressives like it because it balances the scales between drivers and their victims, while conservatives like it because it’s a user fee. Sounds great. Let’s keep it.

In other news:

• One day after Hell Gate ran the definitive headline, the Times did its anodyne version, “An Emboldened Trump Seeks to Bend New York City to His Will.” It’s still a tragic, horrible story, any way you headline it. (NPR, The City, Bloomberg Law)
• Even Rev. Al agrees. (NYDN, amNY)
• Regarding Mayor Adams’s future, who are you going to believe: John Catsimatidis or your own lyin’ eyes? (NY Post)
• We recently mentioned Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s proposal for a residential parking permit pilot in Upper Manhattan, which, of course, the Post has seized on as a new cudgel against congestion pricing … but remember: the bill was introduced last year, long before congestion pricing started.
• Why are Tesla Cybertrucks still considered street legal? Oh, right, I forgot who’s running the country for a second. (Mother Jones)
• A hit-and-run in Yonkers … and the Post has the video.
• Cops say they’ve collared a serial subway arsonist. (Gothamist)
• Let me get this straight: Business Improvement Districts are just fine dumping trash bags on the sidewalks, but they balk at buying bins to actually improve their districts? (Bronx Times)
• Finally, if you have a few bucks and a couple of hours, why not mosey over to the Museum of the City of New York on Thursday night, where NY1 reporter Samantha Liebman will discuss “The Future of the City” with DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez? It’s a good thing my friends at the museum didn’t hire me to be the moderator, as my first question would be, “Commissioner, how can you talk about the ‘Future of the City’ when your boss just told you that you can’t speak freely about the Trump administration?” (Now you know why I don’t get picked to be moderator very often.) In any event, Liebman knows her stuff, so head on over. Details are here.