Move NYC seems to be an excellent first step in the vital process of securing funding for New York city transit. No one can deny that our current transit system is overstressed, and as our population continues to grow, improvements will become even more necessary. I am intrigued by the idea of new train lines and even those awesome foot bridges we all saw displayed. The possibility of walking from New Jersey to Manhattan would be a game changer in the way local residents think about commuting, and allow greater access between New York City and Hoboken, which is almost a sixth borough at this point. (It probably won’t herald in a new dawn of peace and cooperation between the two states, but if there was ever a time when the costal centers needed to hang together, this is it.)
However, restructuring our toll collection can only be the start. Critics predict that the new system could discourage car use, which could increase subway dependence before repairs are possible. This could mean a few years of rough transit and very crowded train cars. Though, in the long run, our tech will simply have to be rehauled, it might end up happening during a spike in transit use due to new toll policies. Of course, as populations grow, we may end up in an identical situation a few years down the road, and without Move NYC, the city will have no plan to finance repairs. If a transit meltdown is coming, “Gridlock Sam’s” proposal may be worth a few years of uncomfortable service. Of course, the main issue is simply the possibility that much of the funds raised by the plan will “disappear” into the tangled, corrupt, bureaucratic sludge that is local government. There would need to be a plan to safeguard the funds raised, and to ensure that they are not high jacked by rival projects. A third quibble of mine is that Move NYC makes no mention of reduced car pool rates, which I think would incentivize commuters to use their cars more efficiently.
All things considered, Move NYC is a clear improvement of the current system, and will provide the kinds of funds which NYC desperately needs. Given the unlikelihood of federal support during this administration, especially considering our sanctuary city status, we need funds NOW, and this plan will get them.
