Drivers fume over ‘war’ on them as city launches system to ticket vehicle owners in minutes – over 400k already fined
A NEW city-wide vehicle surveillance program is set to launch that can immediately assign drivers with hundred-dollar fines.
Drivers expressed their anger with the new law. But city officials said its necessary after hundreds of cars violated obvious parking rules.
New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA, has mounted new parking ticket-monitoring cameras on 14 bus lines.
The city initially installed the cameras to help enforce parking rules at bus stops.
Drivers in New York are not allowed to park in front of areas designated for buses to pick up and drop off passengers.
Cars left in the bus stop are subject to $150 fines.
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More than 600 buses were outfitted with the camera at the program's inception.
The program launched in 2019. New York officials said the buses have assigned tickets to 438,660 drivers.
But the city announced that it is expanding the capabilities of the bus cameras.
Officials launched plans to fine double-parked via the same cameras.
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The program will also put cameras on over 1,000 buses covering 33 routes through the city.
"New Yorkers deserve buses that can keep up with hustle and bustle that makes New York City great," Ydanis Rodríguez, the commissioner for the New York City Department of Transportation said at a press conference.
"We know automated enforcement changes driver behavior, with more than 80% of bus-lane blockers never receiving more than one ticket."
The MTA said the cameras have made the routes "faster, safer, and more reliable."
The program will launch with an initial $50 fine for drivers caught double parking.
The fines can increase to $250 for repeat offenders.
Drivers caught illegally parking will be sent a fine in the mail when the progam is fully implemented.
The cameras are in a 60-day grace period where drivers will recieve a written warning.
But drivers who are susceptible to the fines have complained about the change.
"This is just another step the city has taken in its war on drivers," Nesanel, a driver in Brooklyn, told Hamodia.
"The city is continuing to penalize drivers."
STILL CONGESTED
Other plans to make drivers pay for their New York vehicle use have not been fully implemented.
Recently, New York officials temporarily paused plans to raise funds for the MTA with a driver-based toll on popular streets in Manhattan.
Expert thoughts on congestion pricing
Here is what Tim Menard, the CEO of LYT, a California-based transportation technology firm, said about the pricing policy:
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, the CEO said the city advocated against congestion pricing.
Menard believes congestion pricing will have unintended consequences on the city's poorer populations.
"Congestion pricing has more downsides than benefits," Menard told The U.S. Sun.
"This tax affects the poor more than the rich - there is no equity - billionaires living in expensive parts of Manhattan are not going to be hit as much, particularly given the cost of living crisis in the US."
Still, New York City and federal agencies disagreed with the negative assessment on congestion pricing after spending billions of dollars studying potential re-routing impacts from the potential implementation.
Instead, Menard said cities should embrace rapidly-advancing AI technology.
New systems have controlled transit bus routing - a system Menard says is far more effective.
"It’s specifically designed to help move buses through busy corridors, and it has been effectively used to improve response times for emergency vehicles," he said.
"The new technology can be a very budget-friendly installation for cities. And it works to improve traffic flow for all commuters, not just buses."
The program was set to launch by the end of June before the New York's Governor, Kathy Hochul, announced an 11th-hour about-face.
The policy, known as congestion pricing, was announced by the MTA. The program's aim was to decrease traffic in Manhattan, speed emergency response times, and create a $1 billion funnel of cash for the subways.
It also hoped to ease parking issues in the city, which would decrease the number of parking violations.
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But drivers across the state complained about the high toll costs.
Governor Hochul said the decision to shift away from congestion pricing was tied to New York's continued struggle with inflated prices.