Jeff Colton
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Millions hit by huge winter storm in US
It's American car culture, I think. And there's a real tension of, you know, charging people to drive places. Now, at the same time, there's already tolls to enter a lot of Manhattan. If you're coming in. from a lot of the tunnels into New York City, into Manhattan. You're already getting charged, but this is still a new charge for a lot of entrances into Manhattan. It's below Central Park.
Global News Podcast
Millions hit by huge winter storm in US
There's now going to be a charge to go over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, which was always free. There's going to be a charge to go over the iconic Manhattan Bridge, which was always free. So this is a big cultural change, as well as a new tax. That said, it's going to fund the New York City subways, the largest and most iconic subway system certainly in North America and arguably in the world.
Global News Podcast
Millions hit by huge winter storm in US
And so the reason it is going into effect right now is to beat Donald Trump into office. Trump himself has very much opposed congestion pricing. He sees it as a political issue. He sees it as something that he can gain support. from drivers and from those opposed to the Democratic Party that leads New York. And so Trump has said he will stop congestion pricing.
Global News Podcast
Millions hit by huge winter storm in US
And the reason that the New York government has pushed ahead and putting this into effect just merely three weeks before Donald Trump is going into office is they're hoping that once it's into effect, Trump is not going to be able to repeal it.