Layla Law-Gisiko (D), the president of the City Club of New York and a prominent advocate for New York City’s new congestion pricing policy, was the latest victim of a violent attack in the very subway system she promoted.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Law-Gisiko was confronted by an individual with a shopping cart who spat in her hair and pushed her into a wall, leaving her with a bruised ankle and sore shoulder.
“Today at around 3:30 PM, I entered the subway station at 23rd Street and 5th Avenue. At the bottom of the first flight of stairs, an individual with a shopping cart began screaming at me and spat in my hair,” Law-Gisiko wrote on X.
She added, “The individual followed me into the mezzanine corridor, struck me with the cart, and caused me to hit the wall. He threatened to push me down the next flight of stairs.”
“A group of passengers witnessed the assault. I retreated toward the exit while the individual continued down the stairs. A bystander kindly stayed with me as I called 911 to report the attack.”
“About 25 minutes later, four police officers arrived. After taking my statement, they went into the station, found the individual, and asked me to identify him. Police officers proceeded with arrest.”
“The officers left the scene without further comment. I am shaken, with a bruised ankle and a sore shoulder from being pushed into the wall. This has been a distressing and painful experience,” she concluded.
Today at around 3:30 PM, I entered the subway station at 23rd Street and 5th Avenue. At the bottom of the first flight of stairs, an individual with a shopping cart began screaming at me and spat in my hair.
— Layla Law-Gisiko 罗蕾菈 (@laylaLawGisiko) January 5, 2025
The assailant, identified as 45-year-old Timothy Elliot, was apprehended and charged with assault and harassment. He was subsequently released on a desk appearance ticket, according to the New York Post.
Hours after the attack, the $9 congestion toll on vehicles entering Manhattan, a measure championed by Law-Gisiko and the City Club to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by encouraging the use of public transportation, was implemented.
Effective January 5, 2025, this toll applies to vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street during peak hours—5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. Off-peak hours see a reduced toll of $2.25.
The toll is collected electronically via E-ZPass or by billing vehicles based on license plate recognition. Certain routes, such as the FDR Drive and West Side Highway, are exempt from the toll, provided vehicles remain on these roads and do not enter the city street grid.
Law-Gisiko had co-signed a statement celebrating the launch of the congestion pricing initiative. However, her personal experience on the subway paints a starkly different picture from the rosy outlook she has publicly supported.
New York Post reported:
Law-Gisiko, a native Parisian who has lived in the Big Apple for three decades, has long been a rabble-rouser on transit issues in the five boroughs.
The group she heads, the City Club, has been a strong proponent for the congestion pricing plan, arguing it will “incentivize the use of public transportation” to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
Last year, the club was one of two groups that sued Hochul to implement an earlier version of the congestion pricing plan after the governor’s office temporarily paused its rollout amid concerns it would put an unfair financial burden on many working-class New Yorkers.
The current version has caused massive headaches and gridlock since going into effect on Sunday.
Critics, including the head of the Transport Workers Union, has complained that the city subway system is too dangerous for New Yorkers to be forced to use the underground.
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