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Mad about congestion pricing? Maybe point lasers at the cameras, Queens lawmaker says
By
Liam Quigley
Published Jan 6, 2025
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KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
By
Liam Quigley
Published Jan 6, 2025
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A Queens lawmaker on Sunday suggested that New Yorkers use laser pointers to foil cameras enforcing the MTA’s new congestion pricing tolls.
City Councilmember Vickie Paladino, a Republican who represents parts of northeast Queens, wrote on X that “a high-powered green laser pointer like the ones you find on eBay for under $30 can destroy a camera sensor."
"So if you buy one of these lasers, be sure to NOT point them at any cameras, because they could be permanently damaged!" she added.
When another user on the platform asked if the laser pointers could “take care” of the MTA’s congestion pricing toll readers, Paladino replied with multiple thinking-face emojis. She also shared a video of a vigilante group damaging license plate readers in London, where a network of cameras charges drivers in the city's "ultra-low emissions zone," or ULEZ, for vehicles that do not meet emissions standards.
“Congestion pricing and ULEZ was the breaking point for these Englishmen,” Paladino wrote. “And it would be foolish to believe the same won't happen here in due time. A sawzall, spray paint, or butane torch is all it takes.”
A spokesperson for Paladino did not respond to a request for comment. In October, Paladino disrupted a transportation department workshop on a greenway planned for her district. Afterwards, city officials said they'd develop a "code of conduct" before rescheduling the gathering.
The councilmember's posts came the same day the MTA launched congestion pricing, which charges passenger vehicles a $9 fee to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during daytime hours. The high-tech tolling equipment is suspended from gantries and light poles around Manhattan, as well as bridges leading to the borough. The equipment contains E-ZPass readers and cameras that rely on “infrared illumination” to capture license plates instead of using flash photos.
The cost of congestion pricing
The MTA’s congestion pricing tolls went live on Jan. 5. Here are key aspects of the tolling scheme south of 60th Street in Manhattan:
- A $9 fee on passenger vehicles from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends
- A 75% discount for all vehicles during the overnight hours, putting the after-hours toll at $2.25.
- A $14.40 toll for smaller trucks, such as box trucks.
- A $21.60 toll for large trucks, including big rigs.
- A $4.50 toll for motorcyclists.
- Yellow and green taxis will receive an additional 75-cent surcharge.
- For-hire vehicles such as Uber and Lyft will receive an additional $$1.50 surcharge.
- Both taxis and app-based for-hire vehicles are expected to pass the cost of the tolls onto passengers.
- Drivers who do not use an E-ZPass when entering the congestion zone will pay an extra 50%.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber on Monday called Paladino’s comments “unfortunate."
“In any other context, we would be shocked if elected officials encouraged people to break the law and to cheat other New Yorkers,” he said.
Selling or giving a laser pointer to anyone 18 or younger is illegal in New York City. Damaging public infrastructure, like a toll reader, could lead to charges including criminal mischief and tampering.
Queens Councilmember Vickie Paladino grabbed headlines in October after disrupting a transportation department meeting about a greenway planned in her district.
Councilmember Vickie Paladino
The FBI has previously investigated incidents of people directing laser pointers at planes heading for JFK Airport, which sometimes caused eye injuries for pilots.
The manufacturer of Manhattan's congestion pricing equipment referred to the MTA for questions about whether the cameras were vulnerable to laser pointers. An MTA spokesperson said there have been no reports of damaged toll cameras since the system was activated.
In 2022, someone shot at a city transportation department camera in Howard Beach, Queens, according to police. An NYPD spokesperson said the alleged shooter has not been caught.
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new york city
manhattan
transportation
Politics
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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