“In early March, my partner of five years received a cancer diagnosis. Thankfully, her cancer, staged at IIIC, is considered curable, but requires multiple weeks of chemotherapy and radiation to treat – a grueling and physically draining medical process – which means almost daily travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan for treatment. As we navigated the initial trips back and forth… one thing became clear: congestion pricing will help us and others who need to get to critical medical appointments in Manhattan. The total cost to take a for-hire vehicle back and forth to treatment every day – which again, we only require intermittently – is around $4,000. The cost to buy and maintain a personal vehicle is around $25,000 for the average used car, plus $6,000 annually in other costs – dwarf even that. That does not account for the 107 hours annually that the average New York City driver spends looking for parking. Nor the cost of the countless negative externalities that result from a car-centric lifestyle, including sleep disruptions, weight gain and worsened mental health. I would never presume what’s best for any patient. Everyone’s financial situation differs. But for my family, paying a congestion pricing toll that will make the trip faster and more reliable – whether we are on public transportation or in a car – just makes sense.”
– Alex Morano
Source: StreetsBlog NYC
