Wednesday’s Headlines: For Whom the Toll Tolls Edition

That was fast. Roughly one day after New York State made history by setting up a congestion pricing cordon around Manhattan’s central business district, the backlash began. We mentioned it in our story about the coming carveout crisis, but the Daily News’s Clayton Guse devoted a whole story to a new Quinnipiac poll showing New Yorkers don’t have much confidence that the tolls will work.

Meanwhile, the Post (and amNY and the WSJ) also covered the poll, but the Post also focused on how the politicians put off setting the actual toll tolls until after the 2020 election.

Reminder: Support for congestion pricing only improves after it’s in place and starts working. So stop watching the polls, pols.

• Gothamist reported that Gov. Cuomo’s proposal to let cities decide on the legality of e-scooters for themselves was quietly removed from the budget that passed late on Sunday. That said, it might return as a bill, just like marijuana reform (not that the two go together!).
• Lots of people (including our own David Meyer) are figuring out that the congestion pricing plan that passed late Sunday left out key details — and those details hold the key. (Bloomberg)
• A couple of outlets covered the Regional Plan Association’s call for a narrower Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, including Streetsblog, amNY,
• Speed kills in Brooklyn (NYDN, NY Post). And a crazy driver crashes cars in Bushwick (NY Post).
• The Post editorial board predictably defends the crackdown on fare beating.
• The Times channeled, yes, Gothamist with its headline about the secretive manner in which Pat Foye became MTA chairman.
• Steady hand Vin Barone at amNY gives an early preview of the OMNY system that will replace the MetroCard.