Charles Genancia is worried about the future of his family-owned burger joint, Cubby's, in Hell's Kitchen.
He is concerned about how congestion pricing will affect pedestrians. Cubby's is located on his 10th Avenue near West 45th Street and relies on city residents and tourists outside the congestion charge zone.
What you need to know
- Nearly six cases remain, potentially delaying introduction of congestion charges in June
- As a result, some vendors have already notified Midtown business owners that they expect shipping charges to increase.
- Owners of Cubby's burger joint in Hell's Kitchen say this could also mean higher prices for customers.
“Specifically something like Intrepid. [Museum] Fewer and fewer people will go to public libraries, either, because of the unfavorable congestion charges,” Genancia said.
Congestion pricing is expected to come into effect in June this year. Drivers entering the congestion zone below 60th Street must pay a toll. It's $15 for cars on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Truck drivers will pay even more, up to $36.
Cubby's owners told NY1 they get about 30 dozen buns delivered each week from the bakery vendor, but they will now be more expensive due to congestion pricing.
Genancia's sister, Leila Colbert, a business partner, works with a company that delivers food and supplies outside the congested area.
“We are considering a 5% increase in delivery fees from bread suppliers,” Colbert said. “We use O'Washer's Bakery, a local shop on the Upper West Side just outside the crowd zone, and we use their bread in almost all of our dishes.”
Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for Urban Futures, said he believes congestion pricing will reduce fossil fuel use and pollution, but he also understands the frustrations business owners have.
“It's clear that our government leaders need to work to reduce costs as much as possible for businesses, but I think many small businesses feel that costs are constantly rising. '' Bowles said.
Colbert said Cubby's is meant to be an affordable option for people in the neighborhood and just opened in the fall. She is now concerned that the situation may change if prices need to be increased.
“We want this to be a space that everyone can come to, and we want to keep the pricing unique to this area affordable,” Colbert said.
