I think this “it’s a money grab by the MTA” mentality is ignorant of the fact that no one thinks it was ever not a money grab. There is money to be grabbed by charging the drivers who put wear and tear on the streets. Manhattanites said “yes do this we don’t want the health effects from constant traffic, incentivize them not too drive in”. Drivers said “you can’t grab my money”. Manhattanites said “fine then don’t drive in”.
A money grab isn’t a bad thing, it’s a smart move for a highly romanticized city where space is precious.
I agree it isn't a bad thing per se, but it should drive higher productivity and not be a net decrease in revenue.
If fewer people from New Jersey come to Manhattan, that's less revenue for restaurants and less sales tax collected. Taking that a step further, if those same workers work from their office in NJ or remotely, that's less income tax collected by the City, too.
Moreover, if you have a person living in Manhattan generating high revenue that is being taxed proportionally, having that person slogging through the bus / subway system an extra 30 - 60 minutes one way vs. taking a car is going to decrease the value they're creating. That means less revenue to tax from that person's business, and less taxes to collect from uber / taxi use. But hey, the City got that $2.90.
It's a complex relationship, and I'm not convinced this is going to be a net revenue generator on any level.
A money grab isn’t a bad thing, it’s a smart move for a highly romanticized city where space is precious.