Slim Benakila
I got a chance to chat with a handful of drivers this month about some of the key issues currently facing the industry, at the most recent Black Car Fund Resource Fair, held on May 12 at the organization’s Long Island City facility. Their comments were – unsurprisingly – a mixed bag. We discussed whether congestion pricing has improved traffic, if insurance rates spiked this year, and which Fund benefits they considered the most useful.
My biggest takeaway was regarding the congestion toll, and whether it is working as planned. The verdict: It depends on the time of day… among other factors.
According to an article that ran in The New York Times, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) “estimates that about 76,000 fewer vehicles per day entered Manhattan’s central business district in April” – the equivalent of 2.3 million fewer cars for the month, or 12% fewer than expected, given historical traffic trends. And yet, for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers Mohammed Zamzam and Slim Benakila both said they’re not really seeing the difference they’d hoped for. FHV driver, Samgu Lama, on the other hand, said he has noticed an improvement in traffic congestion.
Samgu Lama
Nearly all of the data I’ve read has shown decreased congestion and increased traffic speeds – but, maybe the difference is not yet noticeable when you’re out on the street, dealing with the many challenges drivers face on a daily basis, as they take their passengers safely to their destinations… like an insufficient number of relief stand parking spaces, aggressive enforcement agents, speed and red light cameras, and “less-than-friendly” passengers.
(Editor’s Note: TLC Chair David Do announced in this month’s column that his agency is working with the city’s Department of Transportation to increase the number of taxi/FHV relief stands citywide, but they’re not available quite yet. View a current map at: https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/taxirelief.shtml).
The following are some additional data points from The New York Times article:
- Traffic speeds have been faster, particularly during peak commute times.
- Traffic outside the zone did not get worse, as many feared.
- Transit ridership is way up, suggesting many commuters have switched.
- Parking violations are down.
- In March, the tolls raised $45 millionin net revenue, putting the program on track to generate roughly $500 million in its first year, even as the federal government has ramped up pressure to halt the program.
- The tunnels entering Manhattan from New Jersey saw 8% fewer cars at the Lincoln Tunnel, and 5% fewer through the Holland Tunnel, compared with January 2024. An outside analysis from researchers at Stanford, Yale and Google found similar results. Their data showed that the greatest gains in speed were at peak commute times, weekdays from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.
- MTA data revealed that bus routes through the Lincoln Tunnel have been nearly 24% percent faster, on average.
- Residents of lower-income neighborhoods have seen faster travel, too – with speeds increasing by between 8% and 9%.
- Yellow taxi rides starting or ending in the congestion zone are up – from seven million trips to eight million trips in the first three months of the year.
- There have been fewer crashes in the congestion zone – and fewer resulting injuries. Philip Miatkowski from Transportation Alternatives said reduced congestion may also increase safety in other ways, like less double-parking and blocked intersections, and/or less road rage.
- In March, just over 50 million people visited businesses in the congestion zone, or 3.2% more than in the same period last year, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation – despite concerns the toll would scare off tourists and hurt local businesses, and even as declining international tourism and tariffs are starting to pinch.
Although the data has been overwhelmingly positive, it will take years before the true effects of congestion pricing are felt. As transit systems are updated and made more accessible, traffic should continue to decrease. In the meantime, many of the people who spend long hours driving on city streets apparently aren’t feeling the impact the program is having day-to-day… not yet anyway.
In a city so overwhelmed by traffic congestion, saving a couple minutes here and there might not be noticeable until you crunch the numbers, after enough months have transpired. It’s understandable that drivers in the trenches might not notice the reduction in traffic – and hopefully the increase in revenue – quite yet.
I was surprised, again, when the topic of insurance came up. I braced myself for tales of punishing rate increases, considering everything I’ve been reporting on about the “crisis” created by the insolvency of the industry’s biggest insurance provider, the American Transit Insurance Company. But only one of the drivers I spoke to was hit with a dramatic rate increase this year… the rest saw only modest increases. (That said, I am interested to hear more on this topic and invite drivers to email me at neil@blackcarnews.com or call me directly at (856) 751-0656… whether the news is good or bad… and whether you would prefer to remain anonymous or not. Please leave a message if I am unable to pick up the phone when you call.)
There is one thing that all of the drivers I spoke to agreed on: The benefits provided by The Black Car Fund make a real difference in their lives, and Resource Fairs are a convenient way to reach medical professionals from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, industry advocates like the Independent Drivers Guild and details about interest-free loans from the Hebrew Free Loan Society, all in one place.
All of the drivers I spoke to also attended (and were paid for) classes provided by the BCF – including wellness, defensive driving and one that explains the details of the many benefits they provide. Classes are held at the BCF Education Center: 37-10 Skillman Ave in Queens.
“I take all of their classes,” explained driver, Slim Benakila. “The wellness class, in particular, was really helpful. I learned CPR, the importance of sitting with good posture, and a bunch of other tips for staying healthy.”
Slim Benakila
“The classes are definitely helpful,” agreed Dipak Adhikari. “I’ve taken all of them… and had my eyes checked and got free glasses.”
Dipak-Adhikari
“I’ve had my eyes checked every year since the program started,” added Mohammed Zamzam. “I’m planning to get their hearing test soon, too.”
Learn more about all of the BCF’s classes, and the hundreds of dollars you can earn upon completion, at https://learn.nybcf.org/.
