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The head of a business association representing the Broadway theater district and Times Square has sharply criticized the state’s plan to impose a $15 “congestion” fee on admission to the Midtown business district, and said the Big Apple’s tourism mecca They argued that it would hinder growth.
“This is just another barrier to people coming into the city, especially the bridges and tunnels that are so important to Broadway theaters,” Broadway Association President Christine Nicholas said Sunday. , said on 77 WABC Radio. cat roundtable.
“Remember, they make up about 30 percent of Broadway audiences, and they’re the ones who are the slowest to come back,” she told host John Catsimatidis.
Nicholas said the city has not yet fully recovered economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not the same city as it was five years ago. Back then, the city was booming. The city was doing well. That was pre-COVID. Broadway was doing well,” she said.
Nicholas said concerns about remote work and crime are making tourists from the New York suburbs and New Jersey “uneasy” about coming to Manhattan.
“And then there’s this,” Nicholas said. “Broadway is doing well, but it could be doing better, and I don’t think congestion pricing will help that.”
The Broadway Association represents the theater district and the Times Square and Midtown Business Improvement Districts.
“The economy is unstable. There has to be another way to do this,” she said.
Nicholas said the $15 toll is less a “congestion mitigation issue” that deters vehicles from entering Manhattan’s business district during peak hours and more about raising nearly $1 billion a year to fund mass transit. He said it belonged to him.
She suggested that all bridges should be tolled at a low, but uniform, rate to prevent toll evasion and traffic diversion to other parts of the city. Some East River crossings are currently free.
Under the congestion pricing plan, drivers of cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during the day would be charged a $15.50 toll, and $3.75 during off-peak hours.
Small trucks will be charged $24 and large trucks will be charged $36 during the day. At night, these fees are reduced to $6 and $9, respectively, as deliveries in traffic are moved outside of commuting hours.
Mr Catsimatidis, who owns Gristedes Grocery Store, said the high tolls for trucks would only be passed on to customers through higher food prices.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic-led state Senate and Assembly approved the Congestion Pricing Act in 2019, created the Transportation Mobility Review Commission, and last week recommended a $15 toll increase during peak hours.
His successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, is lending her political muscle to the effort, participating in last week’s anti-congestion price rally.
But Democratic Mayor Eric Adams is seeking a partial waiver of the $15 toll for people driving into Manhattan for essential necessities such as medical appointments.
Some New Jersey Democrats, including Garden State Governor Phil Murphy, have vocally opposed congestion pricing. Some suburban and northern Democrats have also spoken out against tolls.
New York Republicans have said they intend to use the issue against their Democratic opponents in the 2024 election.
The tolling program is supported by public transit and environmental advocacy groups, as well as some business groups, including the Real Estate Board of New York.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which plans to introduce a congestion pricing program as early as next spring, defended the $15 toll for cars to Midtown.
“Like fans attending sporting events and concerts, the vast majority of theatergoers use public transportation, which is why this season’s Broadway League… He is bringing what he calls a ‘strong recovery’ to Broadway productions.”
“The reality is that someone who pays hundreds of dollars for tickets, food and parking in Midtown is unlikely to be deterred by a $15 congestion charge,” he says.
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