Congestion Suggestion

 

Today is a day most cab drivers dread. Today is the day of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Apparently, from now until the end of January, most cab drivers (or at least the seasoned ones) will stay as far away from mid-town as humanly possible to avoid the mess of traffic and tourists.

Just after the Thanksgiving rush comes the lighting ceremony. And in between, before, and after it’s not as though the streets of New York move anything close to quickly. Horns, yelling, screeching, and various other elements of road rage are heard nearly every day, all day. Cab drivers (and their passengers, for that matter) face traffic and congestion to a degree that most other cities’ drivers could not comprehend.

This is a prime example of why most of the city’s drivers that I’ve spoken to are hopeful that Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan will go ahead as laid out in PlaNYC. This would mean more fares for the drivers and less time spent waiting in frustration just to move forward an inch or two. Less frustration might lead to friendlier drivers and less agressive driving on the roads.

PlaNYC is just that, a plan. We’ll see how much of what’s in that document comes to fruition - and what it will really mean for the city’s drivers.