Congestion pricing will destroy broadway

[rg7759]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 9:13am

I'm surprised there's not more public push back.But I think Broadway league and other small business coalition ETc needs to join New Jersey. Because it tells everyone not to come to New York not to spend your money.It's only for wealthy people. Broadway is hanging on by a thread as it is. 

[SeanD2]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 9:29am

No it won't. And people need to learn to take public transportation.

[rg7759]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 9:55am

I completely agree with you, but I think people with families will not comply.There are other options and they will simply take their money elsewhere

[SeanD2]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:03am

Any family willing to pay Broadway prices and parking prices in midtown won't blink at the congestion pricing.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:05am

I don't think it's going to impact Broadway at all. The types of people bringing vehicles into Manhattan and seeing Broadway shows can afford congestion pricing. People from other places in the US and around the world are likely using some form of mass transport. It's a non-issue for Broadway.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:23am

Your theory is that people will be willing to pay for the gas to drive all the way to Manhattan, the exorbitant toll at the Hudson River crossings, the insane parking rates in Times Square, and the high price of Broadway shows, but the dealbreaker will be the the $15 extra dollars they have to pay for congestion because they insist on driving into the city for no good reason?  I don't see it. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:26am

No one ever said coming to NYC and seeing a Broadway show was affordable for most people. There are, however, enough people who can afford it (with or without congestion pricing). I wish Broadway was more accessible for middle and lower incomes, but that's capitalism I guess.

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 10:41am

Isn’t the congestion pricing going to be for downtown Manhattan?  there’s already a 16 dollar toll to get into the Lincoln tunnel, I think it will affect New Yorkers more than say New Jerseyans going to midtown.  I don’t believe it will actually limit traffic but it’s a scheme to try to raise money. 3 billion for mta projects

[Falsettolands]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 11:01am

Nah

[The Other One]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 11:13am

Congestion pricing is a terrible idea -- the subways can barely accommodate all of the people who are riding them now -- but I don't think it will have much of an impact on Broadway, at least not single-handedly (there are already fewer people attending theatre now than before Covid).  I do, however, know a few musicians and techies who drive in from Westchester and don't want to worry about catching late night trains back home.  If you miss the one you want, you've got a long wait.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 11:22am

Hanging on by a thread? Since when? What data is proving this? 

There are so  many new shows that will bring people to the theater. I don't forsee this being a big factor that will instead drive them away 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 1:18pm

Considering the tolls just to get in and/or out of the city keep going up, adding that to the congestion pricing, higher pricing on everything in general, or the generally not feeling safe coming into the city any longer - there's a good chance the straw will break sooner rather than later.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 2:20pm

Broadway Flash said: "Isn’t the congestion pricing going to be for downtown Manhattan? there’s already a 16 dollar toll to get into the Lincoln tunnel, I think it will affect New Yorkers more than say New Jerseyans going to midtown. I don’t believe it will actually limit traffic but it’s a scheme to try to raise money. 3 billion for mta projects"

The current proposal is anything below 60th Street, not just downtown. The projected revenue is one billion a year, but since it’s the MTA it’s going to get mismanaged and pissed away.

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 3/26/24 at 3:19pm

rg7759 said: "I'm surprised there's not more public push back.But I think Broadway league and other small business coalition ETc needs to join New Jersey. Because it tellseveryone not to come to New York not to spend your money.It's only for wealthy people. Broadway is hanging on by a thread as it is."

 

 

Agree but FOMO is VERY strong in today's world especially in the last ten years. People will pay top dollar for anything the masses approve of. Look at the concert industry. Absolutely out of control pricing for tickets. Today people believe scalping as a legitimate business {Stubscalper} partly due to fomo.

 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 8:32am

KarenValentine'sheadband said: "rg7759 said: "I'm surprised there's not more public push back.But I think Broadway league and other small business coalition ETc needs to join New Jersey. Because it tellseveryone not to come to New York not to spend your money.It's only for wealthy people. Broadway is hanging on by a thread as it is."





Agree but FOMO isVERY strong in today's world especially in the last ten years.People will paytop dollar for anything the masses approve of. Look at the concert industry. Absolutely out of control pricing for tickets. Today people believe scalping as a legitimate business {Stubscalper} partly due to fomo.

"

This is so true. People  may not be interested in a show but as soon as people considered "theater influencers" say it's amazing, or they love it, or whatever, others will run to jump on the bandwagon even if they had no interest before. This also works the opposite way. People say they dislike a show, others are quick to agree even if they haven't seen the show! 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 8:56am

For congestion pricing to have a big impact on Broadway, there would need to be a sizable percentage of theatre goers who drive into the city- and from those, there needs to be a sizable percentage of people who find the new pricing to be onerous. I don’t know if there’s data on how people get to their Broadway theatres, but according to the 22-23 Broadway League demographic report, 35% of Broadway ticket buyers live in the NYC metropolitan area, and of that, 21.7% are from New York City proper and 13.6% from the surrounding suburbs. I would think it’s safe to assume the overwhelming majority of NYC residents use mass transit to get to midtown, as well as a sizable portion of people coming in from the surrounding areas. I would imagine industry leaders see the population of ticketbuyers who both drive in and object enough to congestion pricing as insignificant enough to not merit concern right now. 

Updated On: 3/27/24 at 08:56 AM

[East Village]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 9:11am

Most of congestion pricing advocates think it’s going to reduce cars in Manhattan. It will not — they will be replaced with more Uber & Lyft drivers. Congestion pricing is just another tax/money grab that will raise prices throughout the southern district. I’m old enough to remember the city in the 1970s. Theaters were being torn down & sat empty. Broadway could barely sustain 1-2 new musicals a year, while hit plays where forced to give tickets away to fill seats. No one really wanted to be in midtown after sundown. Let’s hope we don’t swing that far back again. Congestion pricing, non-stop protests, crime & vagrancy, working from home, rising prices, etc. aren’t creating a healthier city. I suspect Midtown will not be in a better place next year, nor the year after — and that will hurt ticket sales 

Updated On: 3/27/24 at 09:11 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 9:55am

East Village said: "Most of congestion pricing advocates think it’s going to reduce cars in Manhattan. It will not — they will be replaced with more Uber & Lyft drivers. Congestion pricing is just another tax/money grab that will raise prices throughout the southern district. I’m old enough to remember the city in the 1970s. Theaters were being torndown & sat empty. Broadwaycould barely sustain1-2 newmusicals a year, whilehit plays where forced togive tickets away to fill seats. No one really wanted to be in midtown after sundown. Let’s hope we don’t swing that far back again. Congestion pricing, non-stopprotests,crime & vagrancy, working from home, rising prices,etc. aren’t creating a healthiercity. I suspect Midtown will not be in a better place next year, nor the year after — and that will hurt ticket sales"

Okay boomer

[East Village]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 11:15am

Call_me_jorge said: "East Village said: "Most of congestion pricing advocates think it’s going to reduce cars in Manhattan. It will not — they will be replaced with more Uber & Lyft drivers. Congestion pricing is just another tax/money grab that will raise prices throughout the southern district. I’m old enough to remember the city in the 1970s. Theaters were being torndown & sat empty. Broadwaycould barely sustain1-2 newmusicals a year, whilehit plays where forced togive tickets away to fill seats. No one really wanted to be in midtown after sundown. Let’s hope we don’t swing that far back again. Congestion pricing, non-stopprotests,crime & vagrancy, working from home, rising prices,etc. aren’t creating a healthiercity. I suspect Midtown will not be in a better place next year, nor the year after — and that will hurt ticket sales"

Okay boomer"

Learn to support yourself —mommy & daddy won’t be around forever 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 11:31am

Call_me_jorge said: “Okay boomer"

Ad hominem says more about you than the person or statement you’re trying to ridicule. You can hate the generation all you want, but they make good points.  

[Hank]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 12:17pm

Being partially disabled, public transit is no longer an option for me. Due to congestion, neither is going in by car.  

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 12:24pm

East Village said: "Most of congestion pricing advocates think it’s going to reduce cars in Manhattan. "

Reducing cars would be nice, but I believe the biggest benefit that congestion pricing is aiming to have is to help fund improvements and maintenance of the MTA subways. The congestion pricing would both encourage taking (cheaper) public transit while also funding it to make it more efficient. 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 1:29pm

Hank said: "Being partially disabled, public transit is no longer an option for me. Due to congestion, neither is going in by car.

"

Congestion pricing as proposed will be $15 during the day and $3.75 at night and it will only be charged once. Car services will only be charged $2.50 and taxis only $1.25. There also seems to be exemptions for “qualifying vehicles transporting disabled persons.” There will also be discounts for low-income individuals. I don’t really see how this prevents driving or being driven in from being an option for you. 

Updated On: 3/27/24 at 01:29 PM

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 1:50pm

Vivian Beaumont is above 60th street right? I imagine it may be harder to find parking up there due to congestion pricing.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/27/24 at 2:26pm

In this thread, we can witness the convergence of this board's most popular phenomena. First and foremost, we are hearing the death rattles of the fabulous invalid. Second, we are being bombarded with incorrect information because people complain first and read second (or never). [E.g., Lyft/Uber: The number of licenses has been capped, and a flat rate congestion charge has been added. The "disabled": There is an exemption available. Etc etc etc] And last but not least, people who love theatre are rarely accounts: 4 people drive to the theatre district to see a show. The very conservative cost of doing so (gas, other tolls, parking, eating and drinking, cheap tickets, etc) we will say is $600. [$150/pp]. Add congestion pricing: $615 (or 620) [$153.75-155/pp]. Seriously? Someone wants to suggest that's the deal breaker? Hysterical.