Congestion pricing is approaching Roosevelt Island, potentially leading to increased traffic, limited parking, and greater reliance on public transit, affecting residents uniquely.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Congestion Pricing and Roosevelt Island
A photo by Janet Falk showed the Manhattan borderline where sensors tick off bucks on every passing vehicle. How will congestion pricing affect Roosevelt Island?
Back when the idea first caught serious attention, I asked then-City Council Member Ben Kallos about exceptions for Roosevelt Islanders. Since we live in Manhattan with limited options, shouldn’t we catch a break?
Kallos said he’d fight for us, but it took too long. Kallos is not here anymore, and the battle for exceptions is great. RIOC seems oblivious to the issue, but since it will cost many employees every time they cross over to claim free parking in Motorgate, maybe the state agency will wake up.
Probably not, though.
Current City Council Member Julie Menin hasn’t shown much interest in Roosevelt Island.
The likely and the inevitable
Roosevelt Island is the closest spot where people from Brooklyn and Queens can get to Manhattan’s bigger island toll-free. That makes our parking spaces more valuable, including those in Motorgate.
So, expect an increase in drivers from Queens and Long Island cruising for open spots anywhere on Main Street. And hopping on Red Buses for a ride to the Tram or subway. A $2.95 fare beats $15 any day.
And more wheels over already beaten down Main Street Z-bricks.
While that isn’t optimal for many, it’s the best choice for others. Therefore, look for fewer parking places and more crowding on the Tram, the F Train and the ferry.
Congestion pricing, though, will affect Roosevelt Islanders more because residents have fewer choices. Living here will not give drivers any advantage over parking spaces unless RIOC comes up with a viable plan favoring it. That’s not likely.
Some locals will leave their cars home in favor of mass transit, adding to potential crunches, especially during rush hours and in tourist season.
Finally…
We won’t see the full impact for a while, and experiences elsewhere suggest that congestion pricing will stop only about 20% of the traffic. But the air will be that much cleaner, and maybe carpooling will take away some stress.
We’ll keep watching.
A Different Kind of Bet
For years, Roosevelt Island did not behave like a system constrained by limits. Internally, the budget was often treated less as a boundary and more as a reservoir to be used.
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