The Democratic Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, announced the entry into force, from January, of a tax on vehicles entering the center of Manhattan, in order to reduce pollution, relieve traffic congestion and finance the city's aging subway.
This controversial project, undertaken in 2007 by former mayor Michael Bloomberg, underwent multiple twists and turns before being relaunched in a lighter form, with a reduced rate of $9 per day, compared to $15 initially.
A measure expected to bring in $15 billion
“We will unclog our streets, reduce pollution and improve public transportation for millions of New Yorkers,” assured Kathy Hochul. Inspired by European models like London or Milan, the toll will affect vehicles traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan, where 700,000 vehicles pile up every day at an average speed of 11 km/h.
If the measure promises to bring in $15 billion to modernize the New York subway, it is highly divisive. Environmentalists and some residents, like Angela Dogançay, 74, see it as progress: “It's the future, I hope she can get it through and that New Yorkers will finally realize the benefits. »
Strong opposition, notably from Donald Trump
However, opposition remains strong, particularly from conservatives, taxi drivers and neighboring New Jersey. “An additional tax only empties our pockets a little more,” criticizes Denis Cruz, a 56-year-old entrepreneur. “It’s unfair for the working and middle classes,” he adds.
President-elect Donald Trump, a fierce opponent of this initiative, denounced a project that “will hurt workers, families and businesses”. Republican elected officials called for his intervention to block what they describe as “an absurd operation to drain traffic jams”. Kathy Hochul, however, chose a timetable aimed at avoiding a possible veto from the Trump administration, the introduction of the tax shortly preceding her inauguration.
