Sebastian Hallum Clarke

Doubling down on congestion pricing to free New York from gridlock How bold congestion pricing moves could help New York capture even greater wins and make our streets thrive

These are pragmatic steps for faster buses, fewer car crashes, less traffic, funds for transit, and a thriving city.

And let’s broaden out to create additional toll zones in Upper Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn. These are the densest, most transit-rich areas that are still clogged with cars.

Decongesting them will deliver faster buses, less honking, safer streets, and funding for transit improvements.

Taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts are 35-50% of Manhattan’s vehicles, yet their riders pay only a tiny $0.75 or $1.50 congestion fee per ride. On a typical Uber ride, that’s only 4% of the total fare.

Let’s hike that up to a price that actually makes riders think twice before hopping in a cab.

The congestion price for Manhattan’s core is already scheduled to increase by $3 in 2028 and a further $3 in 2031.

But we don’t need to wait. Let’s bring these price increases forward to further deter unnecessary driving and unclog our streets.

Doubling down on congestion pricing to free New York from gridlock How bold congestion pricing moves could help New York capture even greater wins and make our streets thrive

NYC’s congestion pricing is working really well, and now we need to go further. Ways to double-down on congestion pricing:
💲 Raising the toll
🚕 Charging taxis more
🗽 New zones for Upper Manhattan & Brooklyn

My latest post: www.sidewalkchorus.com/p/doubling-d...

It’s not even a very well-arranged green space! When I visited, most of the space was cordoned off and every seat/bench was occupied. We turned around and left immediately.

How Third Avenue was made safer and faster for pedestrians, bus riders, and cyclists Advocates built a movement that successfully convinced New York City's government to install a bus lane, bike lane, and intersection safety improvements on Third Avenue

I wrote last year about the grassroots effort that started this ball rolling to make Third Avenue safer for all road users: www.sidewalkchorus.com/p/third-ave

It’s awesome to see what’s worked on the Upper East Side now get extended.

Cross section of the proposed Third Avenue upgrades in Midtown, from 26th through 59th Streets

So great to see @nyc-dot.bsky.social’s proposal to extend the Third Avenue bus lane into Midtown Manhattan.

I regularly take the bus up Third Avenue, and this will help me + thousands of riders each day get to our destinations more quickly.

KEITH POWERS HAS A COMMON SENSE PLAN FOR REBUILDING MANHATTAN'S MIDDLE CLASS. IT STARTS WITH A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Great to see @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social leaning so heaving into building more homes in this mailer we received today. This is the leadership and ambition Manhattan needs for NYC to thrive.

Very easy to see why I’m recommending Manhattanites rank Keith Powers #1 for Borough President.

Who New Yorkers should elect in June 2025 Pro‑abundance picks for a more affordable, dynamic, and thriving city

For full details about the races and candidates, check out my latest blog post: sidewalkchorus.com/p/2025-primary

Then make a plan for how you’ll cast your vote!

In June, New Yorkers have the chance to elect pro-abundance government officials to build a more affordable and thriving city.

There’s a lot of names floating around out there. Ranked choice voting makes it even more complex.

Here’s my recommendations for who to vote for:

63% of Manhattan East Side Voters Still Undecided on Their City Council Pick Only one in five is ready to rank more than one candidate. The race for District 4 is wide-open.

We’re just 5 weeks from election day, but almost two-thirds of District 4 likely voters have no idea who they’re planning to vote for. Time for the campaigns to kick into high-gear, and endorsements to make their mark.

New blog post from me: www.sidewalkchorus.com/p/d4-2025

Fascinating to see how few voters have made up their minds in the upcoming race for Manhattan’s District 4 council seat.

Candidates have hundreds of thousands of dollars still to spend between now and June 24th — expect a flood of comms and ground game.

The proposal will now go to Manhattan Borough President @marklevinenyc.bsky.social, and eventually the city council, where local council member @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social will have big influence.

I hope these officials will support the project, and say YES to great facilities in our neighborhood.

I’m excited about the hospital getting a modern emergency room, larger operating theaters, and a single-bed room for every patient. (Currently 60% of beds are in shared rooms 😭)

Ultimately 60% of CB8 members voted to disapprove the proposal, while I was in the 40% who voted in upgrade the hospital.

I spoke up in a contentious neighborhood debate and told a packed room that I disagreed with many of them.

At this week’s Manhattan Community Board 8 meeting, I spoke in support of Lenox Hill Hospital’s proposal to renovate and enlarge their building at 77th St between Park and Lex.

ABUNDANCE NEW YORK City Council Candidate Recommendations Jess Coleman Crystal Hudson Pierina Sanchez Ben Wetzler

ABUNDANCE NEW YORK Borough and Citywide Recommendations Keith Powers Mark Levine Zellnor Myrie Brad Lander

Great to see so many candidates I believe in on @abundanceny.bsky.social’s list of recommendations for the upcoming NYC primary elections.

We need to get these abundance leaders elected! I’ve been donating and petitioning this week.

Read the full list here: abundanceny.substack.com/p/announcing...

How we raised $8,100 for a New York political campaign — from our living room Hosting a political fundraiser is easier (and more fun) than you think.

Last year, my wife and I hosted a houseparty to fundraise for Keith Powers’ campaign to be Manhattan’s next Borough President.

Despite never having done something like this before, it went really well! We raised $8k, and introduced a bunch of friends to NYC politics.

I wrote about our experience:

“Yale’s Budget Lab estimates that the new tariffs will cost the average household anywhere from $1,600 to $2,000 a year.” www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

As a New Yorker with family in Canada, I am alarmed by Trump's plan to apply large tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico from tonight.

This will hurt NY, Canada, and the US – both economically and in terms of our relationships – for no good reason. 🫤🗽🇨🇦

Music to my ears from the man who I hope will be Manhattan’s next Borough President: @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social

The End of Eric Adams What will happen to the Mayor of New York City?

I found this piece by Michael Lange to be an excellent summary of what could lie ahead for New York: all the options for removing a mayor, and how the timing could work out

I too have found that the NYC Department of Transportation is very quick to respond to my requests to replace destroyed flexposts. I wish we had more robust bollards, but I do at least appreciate that the flimsy posts we do have are quickly replaced when DOT gets notified.

NY State Assembly Bill 2025-A3730 Provides that cities having a population in excess of one million shall not supersede state provisions relating to the state law prohibition on individuals standing or parking a vehicle within twenty ...

So pleased to see @alexbores.bsky.social supporting this bill. Looking forward to making AD73 and all of our city safer for pedestrians.

www.nysenate.gov/legislation/...

Great to see the strong majority of Manhattanites and transit riders support congestion pricing. Despite all the turmoil, this is a great baseline for the toll’s popularity to grow from.

I’ve called my local lawmakers to tell them how happy I am with the start of congestion pricing.

I know I’m not going to solve all of America’s problems.

But targeted donations and uplifting my neighborhood/city feels a whole lot more productive and powerful than any amount of doomscrolling. 🗽

Being involved with local community organizations feels super empowering.

Last week I worked with fellow community board members to pass resolutions supporting converting manufacturing land into new homes, upgrading Central Park’s drives, and improving resident access for the Roosevelt Island Tram.

Yesterday I set up a recurring donation to @aclu.org. They have a track record of litigating to safeguard civil rights I value, and donating helps them keep up the good work.

I also donate to @opennewyork.org, @transalt.org, and @ridersalliance.org — who work locally on issues I care about. 💸

There’s been a flood of alarming political news this week. It’s easy to feel helpless and even easier to doomscroll.

Two things I find positive and empowering are:
💰 Donating to organizations that are working on issues I care about
🤝 Being involved in my local community on those issues

An NYPD electronic billboard saying “Fake Plates? Real fines.”

Great to see these billboard along the border of the NYC congestion relief zone reminding drivers to not break the law.

Ensuring all vehicles have authentic and visible license plates helps keep everyone safe and paying tolls properly.