NYC has essentially become a lawless society since 2017 and even more so since 2020. At some point, no one is going to pay to use the subway out of frustration of seeing so many people just blatantly ignoring the fares and the MTA budget shortfall will get even deeper. NY will soon need another funding scheme that punishes law abiding tax payers simply because the city/state does not want to enforce the rules, particularly against certain "communities" where fare evasion is most prevalent.
YEP, the MTA system is vital for movement around the burroughs
of NYC. Without it people would be basically locked down to the
areas where they could walk to and back. Many years ago I spent
about 21 months there station with the military police dept. It was
free to us either in uniform or with military passes.
If it makes you feel any better, the State of New York isn’t going to take any action against most drivers who use illegal means to avoid paying the congestion pricing fee, either.
My prediction is that the program gets canceled after 2-3 years when the revenue it raises falls far short of their projections. The streets of NYC will be filled with unregistered vehicles, cars with fake license plates or license plate screens that block the cameras from getting a clear view, etc.
ANd I am left to wonder what, if any, effect this will have on businesses in NYC?