Congestion Pricing Toll Blamed for Ending Democratic Leader's Six-Year Romance
A New York City district leader stated that the financial burden of the city's congestion pricing policy ultimately led to the dissolution of her relationship with an MTA bus driver.
New York City Democratic district leader Mariama James has attributed the end of her six-year relationship to the city's congestion pricing policy, which she argues made it financially unfeasible for her boyfriend to visit her.
James, who previously ran as a state Assembly candidate, shared on X that the tolls imposed by the congestion pricing plan created a hardship for her boyfriend, an MTA bus driver. His commute already included bridge tolls, and the additional cost of entering Manhattan below 61st Street, where James lives, became too much.
"We basically stopped seeing each other bc of Congestion Pricing," James wrote. "He already pays it plus bridge tolls to get from his home in East NY to the depot in Harlem where he works. Coming to visit me inside the zone a few times per week as well, not to mention driving for our formerly frequent weekend getaways to AC became a hardship & no way he’d ever let me pay instead."
James, 55, met her boyfriend, whose name she withheld, in 2019. She described him as a "working stiff" and a "traditional gentleman" who insisted on covering all expenses when they dated. He would often meet her during his work breaks or take her out on weekends. They spent most of their time together at her residence in the Financial District.
Prior to the implementation of congestion pricing, the bus driver was already spending over $100 weekly on tolls for his commute through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. The introduction of the $9 congestion toll, effective January 5, 2025, further strained his finances.
"We’ve only seen each other like two times since 2025," James told The Post. "It just kind of became exhausting and we stopped doing it."
She added that the financial strain impacted both of them, making their outings difficult. James also criticized the policy, stating, "I don’t like it. Not for my district. All its done is push pollution on our neighborhood."
James, who is also involved in advocating for 9/11 victims and serves on the board of a youth charity, lost a Democratic state Assembly primary race in June. She noted that online trolls have targeted her following her public statements about the relationship's demise due to the congestion pricing toll.