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In New York City, people are being murdered for taking the subway home from work. They’re being robbed in record numbers; more cars are being stolen, more women are being raped, and jaywalking is absolutely out of control. 

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So, of course, the New York City Police Department has decided to crack down on one of the major criminal activities that afflict Gotham City: congestion toll avoidance.

The NYC cops issued more than 200 citations, seized 27 vehicles, and made three arrests, all in just two days of enforcement. Congratulations to New York’s finest for a job well done.

Now… about those murders on the subway?

The toll, $9 for passenger cars, is assessed by license plate readers, who then give drivers the option of paying through E-Z Pass or by sending a bill to the car’s owner. 

The cops say that 81 of the tickets were given to drivers who deliberately tried to obscure or alter their license plates. The New York Post discovered one popular attempt to trick out the license plate reader was to obscure or paint over one letter or number on the plate.

Other scofflaws were more intent on making a political statement.

New York Daily News:

Also handcuffed at the checkpoint near Columbus Circle was Staten Island artist, activist and very angry Scott LoBaido.

In a video posted to his X account, LoBaido parked his car just before the toll cameras and covered his front license plate with duct tape and his rear with a cutout of a middle finger, obscuring the tags.

LoBaido stood on the roof of his SUV holding a larger cutout of a middle finger. “F–k you! F–k you!,” the artist shouted. “F–k your congestion f–king prices!”

The video then cuts to a group of police officers attempting to coax him off his car and get him to move to the sidewalk. He was issued two summonses for disorderly conduct for creating a hazardous condition, and obstruction of vehicular traffic, police said.

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The spirit of resistance isn’t dead in New York City!

Other tickets were given for non-congestion toll avoidance violations like expired plates and out-of-date inspections. These sweeps that target one criminal offense but catch people in another are illegal in many states. 

New Yorkers want to know if the scheme is working to actually reduce congestion. Early returns are positive.

Fox 5:

Congestion pricing aims to reduce traffic by imposing tolls on vehicles entering Manhattan’s business district. So far, early observations indicate some success in decreasing congestion. Pedestrians say they have noted lighter traffic, particularly on streets like 2nd Avenue and East 60th Street, near the congestion zone boundary.

According to the MTA, weekday subway ridership has climbed, with 3.8 million riders recorded on Wednesday—up more than 7.8% compared to the same day last year. Bus ridership also saw a 4% increase year-over-year.

The Moshes brothers, creators of “Congestion Pricing Tracker,” are attempting to analyze the changes in traffic times. For example, the Lincoln Tunnel now reports average crossing times of just 3–4 minutes, compared to 10 minutes before the tolls. Similarly, the Queensboro Bridge is experiencing historically fast crossing times.

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Will it last? It’s only been a week, and how many of those new subway riders are going to keep it up? Once people get used to the idea of paying for the privilege of using New York City roads that they’ve already paid for, fewer people will brave the subway and return to the routine of driving to work.

Their wallets will be considerably lighter.