Andrew Heiberger, the founder and CEO of Buttonwood Development, a Manhattan-based real estate development firm. Photo by Jonathan Grassi via Wikimedia Commons
New York’s long-anticipated congestion pricing went into effect earlier this week, capping off months of political posturing, street protests and New Jersey whining. Yet, even though the toll was reduced from $15 to $9 and early signs point to less gridlock in many areas, it will take more than that to deter wealthy Upper East Side residents, who are minimally impacted by the new law, from complaining.
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Because the congestion toll is only paid by motorists driving below 60th Street, residents of the Upper East Side are nominally safe from any charge. But clearly, City Hall didn’t take poor souls like Heiberger into account:
“While I disagree with it for many reasons, for me in particular, it really hits home, because I live right here on 61st Street in this building, and my car is right there parked in front of my building,” he told FREEDOMNEWS TV. “If I want to turn around and go uptown to visit my kids who live on 79th Street, I have to pay $9 to go around the block because there’s no way for me to go uptown without going around the block and paying $9. I think something has to be sorted out on behalf of residents.”
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According to Jalopnik, Heiberger lives in a section of the Upper East Side known as “Billionaire’s Row” and likely pays at least $10,000 per month for the privilege; the fact that he’s complaining about $9 anything is, simply put, laughable. But even ignoring this disingenuous frugality, it is genuinely incredible that Heiberger apparently considers making a 20-ish minute walk or using any sort of public transportation option as out of the question.
It’s true that even New Yorkers of more modest means have voiced concerns over the congestion tax; many have claimed that the $9 fee is too cheap to deter wealthy residents but steep enough to hurt the working-class. Others are (somewhat understandably) wary of trusting the MTA to not squander the opportunity for improving some of the city’s more ancient transit infrastructure. But, generally speaking, when ultra-wealthy folks like Heiberger try to use the language of populism to bolster support for their cause, you can almost always be assured that it’s disingenuous.
Granted, it’s been very cold over the past week and not everybody can easily take a 20-minute walk in the city. But given that the tax is already clearing out streets and intersections that were choked with cars days ago, and New York has some of the best and most widely available public transit in the world, inconveniencing people like Heiberger is a small price to pay.
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Unless he has some unapparent medical condition, a 20-minute walk would be good for him.
Agreed
Meh. Personally, I would never judge what someone else should/shouldn’t do based on their personal income. Then again, I guess that’s what makes me a minority in this city.
Gather ye pitchforks, progressives!
It isn’t a $9 fee. It is a $9+ fee EVERY SINGLE DAY!
It IS outrageous and some future mayor should get elected on a platform of getting rid of it. Find someone else to shake down. Someone who can fight back. Get rid of the governor who thinks she is election-immune to bringing in these outrageous charges.
Hopefully not-too-many businesses will have gone bust because of it.
If he lives on 61st between Madison and Park he’s right. That’s totally unreasonable. The only way for him to go uptown is to drive down to 59th street. That is an unreasonable tax at that point.
The city could have thought that through and made travel South of 59th Street taxable – but that would have required spending 5 minutes looking at a map. That’s a lot to ask of people in Albany or the MTA. I guess we expect a lot from people who can’t manage a $68 billion capital plan and constantly need bailing out.
In general, complaints are GOOD. Acquiescence is dangerous and allows all sorts of
evil to continue. The only way to gain improvements is to complain!