New York voters overwhelmingly reject having to pay a new $15 “congestion” toll to enter Midtown Manhattan, a statewide poll released Monday shows.
The Siena College survey finds that 63% of voters throughout the Empire State oppose the toll, while only 25% support the pricing scheme promoted by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA to curb congestion and generate nearly $1 billion a year to fund mass transit.
In New York City, 64% of voters are against the first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan to enter the Manhattan business district south of 60th Street compared to just 33% who back it.
Manhattan voters are overwhelmingly against the new congestion toll. Helayne Seidman
An even higher 72% of voters who reside in the suburbs surrounding the Big Apple — more likely to drive than take mass transit into Manhattan — oppose the controversial toll that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority could implement as early as June.
Opposition to the toll is one of the few issues that unifies all cross-segments of New York voters.
The new toll is opposed by 72% of blacks, 62% of Latinos, 62% of union households, 75% of Republicans, 69% of independent or unaffiliated voters and, 75% of Republicans and even a majority 54% of Democrats.
Congestion pricing is being implemented because of a state law championed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2019 — yet only 34% of Democrats support it.
Drivers will have to pay $15 to cross 60th street. Christopher Sadowski
Hochul, Cuomo’s successor, has defended congestion pricing as a good thing amid a plethora of lawsuits to block it.
“A majority of Democrats, two-thirds of independents and three-quarters of Republicans oppose the soon-expected congestion pricing toll plan, as do approximately two-thirds of downstaters and a majority of upstaters,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.
One in seven voters — 14% of respondents — said they would travel less to Manhattan to avoid the toll, while 17% said they would find another way to get to Midtown that could include mass transit.
Another 14% of respondents said the toll would have no effect on their travel patterns while 44% said they don’t go to Manhattan. The poll queried upstaters who rarely venture into the Big Apple.
Congestion pricing imposes a $15 toll on cars traveling anywhere below 60th Street between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
Overnight, the toll drops to $3.25.
“Nearly one-third of New Yorkers say they will either travel less to Manhattan or find ways other
than driving to get there. It will be interesting to see if those positions hold steady once the toll is implemented,” Siena’s Greenberg said.
Some drivers plan on going to Manhattan less to avoid the toll. AP
On other matters:
— 67% of voters support a ban on transgender athletes competing against girls.
Voters were asked if high school athletes should only compete with “others of the same sex that they were assigned at birth.”
Again, there was across-the-board support for the transgender ban — with 64% of New York City voters overall, including 52% of Democrats.
Voters are unhappy with the state of the nation and state under Democratic rule.
— 64% of voters said the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, while 53% believe the state is on the wrong track.
— President Biden is underwater with voters in Democratic leaning New York, with a 55% job disapproval rating.
He leads unpopular Donald Trump, who is on trial, only 47% to 37%. with the rest undecided.
A majority of voters say the hush money criminal trial of Trump underway in Manhattan is legit, while 30%, mostly Republicans, say it is a witch hunt.
— Gov. Kathy Hochul is on shaky ground with her constituents. Only 40% view her favorably while just 45% approve of her job performance — her lowest numbers as state leader.
— 82% of respondents say the influx of migrants is a serious problem and a majority of voters flunk Biden, Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams’ handling of the crisis. The result mirror the results in prior polls.
— 76% of voters say shoplifting is a major problem for New York stores, while 55% believe crime in New York has gotten worse.
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— Only 44% support U.S. military and economic aid to Israel while 41% are opposed, largely because of the divide in the Democratic Party.
— A majority of New Yorkers support increased aid to Ukraine — with 54% in favor to 35% opposed, up 3 points from a February poll.
— Reparations: Voters are largely split with 47% in support and 46% opposed — about whether to provide reparations to black descendants of slaves. There’s a racial gap, with nearly 90% of black voters in support and most white voters opposed.
— New Yorkers are split on whether to ban Chinese-owned TikTok social media video app — 43% in support and 45% opposed.
— A slight majority — 52% of respondents — oppose a national abortion ban after the 15th week of pregnancy, while 41% back it.
— 75% of voters support safeguarding access to invitro fertilization – or IVF – for all Americans and 69% back boosting protections to protect members of the LGBTQ community.
— Voters are split — along partisan lines — about allowing parent groups to override educators ́ decisions on what books should be available to students. Overall, 48% were in favor and 45% opposed.
But 69% of Republicans backed parental control while 62% of Democrats were opposed.
This Siena College Poll was conducted April 15-17, among 806 state-registered Voters.
The survey has a margin of error plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Source link: https://nypost.com/2024/04/22/us-news/ny-voters-overwhelmingly-reject-new-15-congestion-toll-poll/