Congestion pricing toll evasion prompts crackdown by NYPD
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Three days after congestion pricing began, officials are already tackling toll evasion and cracking down on drivers breaking the law.
One city council member is also facing criticism after explaining how to disable the cameras.
It took just 72 hours for drivers to start the bad behavior. An NYPD enforcement operation targeting the new congestion tolls on Tuesday resulted in 82 violations. Police confiscated 17 cars and arrested two people.
"There's going to be an entirely new industry on how to evade tolls. That's just the ingenuity of mankind," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Concealing license plates is nothing new, but tampering with state equipment raises concerns.
"New Yorkers will always try to get around these things, but it's important to follow the law," City Council Member Keith Powers said.
The crackdown comes as City Council Member Vickie Paladino from Queens faced backlash for a tweet suggesting that pointing a green laser at cameras could destroy the sensors. Some of her colleagues rebuked the comments.
"This is ridiculous. You don't have to like the program, but you shouldn't encourage people to deface property," Powers said.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber responded forcefully, calling it shocking for elected officials to encourage people to break the law.
However, others, including Mayor Adams, downplayed the comments.
"You're almost afraid to crack a joke nowadays; all of a sudden, you are demonized," Adams said. He promised the NYPD would continue its enforcement activities and warned that failing to pay the $9 MTA toll, set by Gov. Kathy Hochul, would ultimately hurt others.
"We live in the most expensive city in the country, and then they throw this out. It's rough," one driver said.
Hochul acknowledged the financial burden.
"I know it’s a hit on people's wallets," Hochul said. In the same breath, she told Dan Mannarino during a taping of PIX on Politics, that she's proposed new tax credits.
"I'm always laser-focused on putting money back in people's pockets," Hochul added.
A spokesperson for Council Member Paladino did not respond to a request for comment and said she did not have time for an interview on Tuesday.
Ghost Plate enforcement action is expected to continue Wednesday, according to sources.