A real estate mogul received swift backlash online after complaining about a new fee aiming to reduce the number of cars on the road in New York City.
Andrew Scott Heiberger, the founder of Buttonwood Development and Town Residential, expressed his distaste for the Congestion Relief Zone Toll that charges drivers up to $9 when entering the Manhattan Central Business District, per the Daily Mail.
CONGESTION PRICING: Upper East Side resident Andrew lives on 61st street and 5th Avenue, in Congestion "Relief" zone, the second he moves his car, he's hit with a toll.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) January 5, 2025
His kids live on 79th street and he will have to pay congestion price every time he goes to see them. pic.twitter.com/BVbPBV4A4X
In an interview with Freedom News TV, Heiberger explained that the levy "really hits home" because of his residence on 61st Street — an area near Central Park referred to as Billionaires' Row for its luxurious apartments and wealthy inhabitants.
"If I wanna go to turn around to go uptown to visit my kids who live on 79th Street, I have to pay $9 to go around the block because this is a one-way street … and there's no way for me to go uptown without going around the block and paying $9," he said in the video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I think something has to be sorted out on behalf of residents."
New York State implemented the Congestion Relief Zone Toll program, which went into effect on Jan. 5, to address concerns about traffic, pollution, safety, and air quality.
While rates depend on the day, time, and type of vehicle, drivers of passenger and small commercial vehicles entering 60th Street and below have to pay $9 during peak hours from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
According to the MTA, the tolls should help cut down on the estimated 700,000 vehicles that enter the CBD daily while raising $15 billion to upgrade the city's public transportation system and support 23,000 jobs.
Cities like London, Stockholm, and Paris have all undertaken similar efforts to limit planet-warming pollution by enforcing fees, giving hope that New York could experience similar success.
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Though the Daily Mail noted that a few people voiced their frustration for the toll and even sympathized with Heiberger, others expressed no remorse.
"61st to 79th Street is less than a mile. Who'd drive that?" one person wrote.
"All New Yorkers, who know very well what real estate at 61st Street and Fifth Avenue is worth, are hearing the world's tiniest violin playing here," someone said.
"That people now feel less inclined to drive from 61st street to 79th street seems to be a pretty good argument for congestion pricing," another user pointed out.
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