TUESDAY, MAR. 11, 2025
Dear New Yorkers,
Honking-mad motorists are laying off the horn in the core of Manhattan since the January launch of congestion pricing, data reveals — with New Yorkers enjoying the silence as beefs about blaring horns have plummeted nearly 70% from the same time last year.
An analysis by THE CITY of available 311 data from ZIP codes south of 60th Street reflects a vast quality-of-life gain from the vehicle-tolling program that President Donald Trump wants to terminate by March 21.
“Before, it was too much, there was honking of horns without reason,” said Syed Ali, 49, who works daily inside a halal food cart at Park Avenue South and East 32nd Street. “Now, it’s better for everybody.”
Between the January 5 start of congestion pricing and Thursday March 6, the city ed just 67 complaints about honking inside the congestion relief zone.
That’s a steep decline of 69% from the same period last year, when ticked-off New Yorkers in the same area complained 219 times about honking.
And it’s not just 311 complaints: this time around, the city’s noise cameras (yes, those are a real thing) didn’t issue a single horn-honking summons.
Read more here about how congestion pricing has led to quieter streets south of 60th.
Weather ☀️
The beautiful weather continues, with another sunny day with highs in the low 60s.
MTA 🚇
In the Bronx, the Wakefield-bound 2 train skips 219 Street, 225 Street, 233 Street and Nereid Ave from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. all week. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.
Alternate side parking 🚙
It’s in effect today, Mar. 11.
By the way…
It’s almost cherry blossom season! Check this tracker from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see when they’re blooming.
Our Other Top Stories
- ICE’s arrest this weekend of a green card-holding former graduate student at his Columbia apartment — evidently for his public role in pro-Palestine campus protests — prompted many Democratic mayoral candidates to issue statements condemning the arrest. But other candidates remained silent about the news, exposing the wide rift that the issue has opened.
- As Eric Adams’ criminal case remains in limbo, Manhattan prosecutors are continuing plea discussions with a formal mayoral aide who could be a crucial witness: directly connecting the mayor to an illegal straw donor scheme. According to prosecutors, Mohammed Bahi has entered into a plea agreement — but without the usual accompanying statement detailing the actions he’s confessing to.
- With measles cases on the rise in the United States, public health experts in New York are encouraging vaccination against the highly contagious virus. The city has confirmed two cases so far this year, and there are three in New Jersey. Measles spreads easily and can lead to serious complications, or death, for those who are unvaccinated. Here’s how to protect yourself and your family.
- On this episode of FAQ NYC, our hosts discuss Adrienne Adams’ “energetic and positive” mayoral launch this weekend, Trump’s impact on the city’s institutions, and the conspicuous absence of endorsements for Mayor Adams. Listen here.
- Since you all liked our explainers so much, we’re tackling another sanitation story: composting. If you have any questions about how composting works in New York that you’d like us to look into, please send them to [email protected]!
Reporter’s Notebook
A Lopsided Building Boomlet
New York City last year produced the most new housing units since 1965, reflecting the rush of builders beginning in 2022 to start construction before a key tax break lapsed.
Brooklyn added 13,732 new units, ing for 40% of the 33,974 new homes citywide, according to new data released Monday by the Department of City Planning. Manhattan gained only 4,841 new units, behind both Queens and the Bronx. Staten Island produced only 814 new homes.
Only 15,626 new permits were issued in 2024, down slightly from the previous year, even though the legislature approved a new property tax break called 485X in the late spring. Developers remained hesitant to start construction, since many of the details on how 485-X were not clarified until later in the year.
City Planning noted that new construction remained concentrated in only a few areas of the city. Nineteen out of the city’s 59 community districts each permitted fewer than 100 homes and another 13 permitted fewer than 200.
The recently ed City of Yes rezoning is designed to spur building in those areas. The istration of Mayor Eric Adams is also moving ahead with rezoning of a portion of Community District 5 in Midtown South. That district added only 19 new units last year.
— Greg David
Things To Do
Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.
- Tuesday, Mar. 11: Learn the first steps to grow your own garden: planting and transplanting seedlings. Garden of Eden in The Bronx, 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Mar. 12: Watch a screening of Harriet, the story of abolitionist Harriet Tubman starring Cynthia Erivo. Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn, 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Mar. 12: Hear Kwame Dawes, the current Poet Laureate of Jamaica, discuss the life and work of acclaimed Caribbean novelist Neville Dawes. Poets House in Tribeca, 7 p.m.
THE KICKER: The American Folk Art Museum, the city’s only museum dedicated to self-taught artists, was named the Best Art Museum in the U.S. by Newsweek readers — and it’s always free to visit. (Open Wednesday through Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.
Love,
THE CITY
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