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Mayor Bloomberg took to the streets and held a rally to beg Albany to hurry up and make a decision on NYC's congestion pricing plan. CityRoom reports that "Dozens of supporters watched the event...clad in green PlaNYC t-shirts" with signs like "I take a ferry, and I vote." And from the center of Times Square, Bloomberg said, "No state action, no federal funding — it’s that simple. We’ve got to have the state do something by July 16, or we will walk away from an enormous amount of money that would be spent to improve mass transit, which in turn would improve the air that we and our children breathe.”
However, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (who is technically the one holding up the plan, because Governor Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno actually agree that congestion pricing is a good idea) would rather authorize a study than approve congestion pricing. Bloomberg emphasized that the $500 million in federal funds is only available now: "We don't need Albany to say, 'Well, we'll study it some more, we'll talk about it in the fall, we'll come back later on.' It's a unique opportunity right now." PlaNYC also released flyers showing a girl with an asthma inhaler and the text, "She cannot hold her breath waiting for Albany to act."
Mayor of London Ken Livingtone penned a NY Times Op-Ed on Monday to give the London congestion pricing success story. A Daily News article looks at some number-crunching with congestion pricing costs for drivers, as well as benefits. And did you realize drivers in Manhattan will have to pay the congestion pricing fee when they drive out of the zone?
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If you can afford to keep a car in Manhattan in the zone, you can afford the fee when you leave the zone.
i DESPISE sheldon silver, that SOB
bloomberg is an a$$, only concerned with disenfranchising everyone but the wealthy. his term will be up soon enough.
Who's above Speaker Sheldon Silver? Slap him around and let's get this thing moving - it's a no brainer.
only idiots think congestion pricing benefits the wealthy
I am in favor of congestion pricing (though perhaps not the exit fee on top of the entrance fee, something that should be discussed in further detail), but I would appreciate it if Bloomberg did not imply that the federal funding is a sure thing if only Albany were to approve. There are a number of cities up for that funding; we need Albany to approve for NYC to have a chance at getting the funding.
since it's only for Manhattan and only during 9 to 5, I'm all for it.
they did it during the period after 9/11, they could do this now.
No reason to drive in NYC. Make it $20 per car and $50 per truck and make it ASAP.
Aces N Eights, I presume you mean that trucks shouldn't drive into Manhattan between 9 AM and 5 PM, because there are many, many reasons for trucks to drive into Manhattan in general all of which can be summarized by the following statement: there is no freight train line into Manhattan. That means that all the goods and food that you purchase have to be delivered some other way. I'm think helicopter isn't really the answer, neither is pack mule, thus trucks are the way to go.
>And did you realize drivers in Manhattan will have to pay the congestion pricing fee when they drive out of the zone?
Yes. You keep mentioning it in every congestion pricing article.
Hurrah for congestion pricing! Down with cars, up with feet!
since most drivers from everywhere except the boroughs already pay to get into the city, this wont do anything for congestion but it will screw all residents since its just another tax and added bureaucracy. The city itself claims speeds will increase from 8 to 8.6 mph, LOL. I also cant wait to see people being sent bills for trips they never made and other people obscuring their plates etc, etc. this is a ridiculous idea and i don't even own a car. i wonder how many billions it will cost to create the infrastructure to put a camera on every corner of the city to monitor not only entering and leaving the zones but traveling within. I wonder what people would think if Bush had said, here's a security idea, lets put NYPD cameras all over NYC -- all you idiots would be up in arms, but wrap it in a faux environmental wrapper and you all fall in line.
since most drivers from everywhere except the boroughs already pay to get into the city
I thought that the Times showed that half of the traffic in Manhattan came from within the city. This plan should keep commuters from within the five boroughs from driving to work five days a week. It's probably not going to have much of an impact on daytrippers from the suburbs.
I for one hope this keeps the poor people out of manhattan. No need for their kind of riff-raff. I have more than enough money to live in manhattan and drive my SUV all day. Make it better for the rich!
[12] the times article was later shot down, it turns out the majority of drivers come from either LI or NJ when not including service related vehicles.
Poor people don't have cars. This will keep out the white trash from coming in with their hoopdees.
and westchester/CT as well
I always thought white trash were poop people
why is gothamist so racist against rich people?
You are correct.
If a company decides to arrange deliveries during the peak hours when congestion rates are on then they should pay a premium.
btw, gothamist
if you think the "light grey" guest comments will force more people to register, you are clearly wrong
why do u want our email addys so badly?
how much $$ will you get for them?
Does anyone but me remember the traffic study a couple months back in which it was revealed that 1/3 of the autos coming into Manhattan were government workers who enjoy free parking and/or other parking privileges. Low to moderate income people own vehicles in the boroughs. Occasionally we drive in to bring our fathers for cancer treatment, or because we will be out late spending money on dinners or shows. Eliminate the free parking for government workers and charge exorbitant fees on all the town cars taking home the "masters of the universe" at the financial institutions and law firms. Please allow us low to moderate income native New Yorkers the inexpensive pleasure of driving in once in a while fee free.
Trucks and commercial vehichles should be free. Any passenger car should pay $10 coming and $10 going. I don;t think it's right to penalize stores that are open 10 - 6pm to have to stay open later just for deliveries.
I'd have to agree that most cars come from NJ and LI, CT and westchester has better train service.
govt employees should be required to take public transportation, at least for 9-5 jobs
I don't understand something - if it's $4 to drive within the zone...if I have to move my car across the street to comply with alternate side of the street parking rules - I'm going to get charged $4...that's ridiculous!
I want to read guest comments, but I get eyestrain
#25: you "don't understand something" because you have been paying very little attention. the system will be set up so that people moving cars for alternate parking rules won't get charged.
[27] and how will they know your intent?!! that provision alone is ridiculous.... i can only imagine trying to fight the charge.
If you're within the zone, how are you going to get charged? they're only talking about below 86th street.
this is for all those single occupant cars that come into the city and there's plenty of them.
no, you obviously haven't been reading, there is a charge within the zone as well.
[12] the times article was later shot down, it turns out the majority of drivers come from either LI or NJ when not including service related vehicles.
Really? Where did you see this? I am so tired of the Times getting their shit wrong.
31 -- i think i also saw that in the WSJ, if i remember right, but not sure... will look it up.
If anyone really thinks this is going to cause anyone to not drive into Manhattan, you're truly delusional.
1) At some point it will be tied to a credit card, which means it's fake money that people don't realize they're paying... like EZ-Pass... just like the government likes their taxes.
2) It has nothing to do with pollution, because I'm assuming that hybrid vehicles won't be getting a discount. It's a tax. Unless you think that, someday, when cars manage to be green this tax will miraculously go away... just like Thruway Tolls were supposed to go away when the bonds were paid off.
3) Look around Manhattan while you're walking sometime and try to find the cars that aren't: cabs, college students, delivery vehicles, buses, commuters, or worth more than $30k. Those are the only vehicles you're getting rid of.
4) On the heels of the report that 2/3/4/5/etc are overcrowded at peak times, it's awesome how we want to put more people in them.
5) Monthly Metro-North/LIRR/NJ Transit railroad tickets into the city go for like $150 on the cheap end. Where, exactly, is the benefit to switching to the rail if you assume 20 workdays in a month?
I hope everyone that is FOR congestiong TAXING enjoys the even more overcrowded, dangerous subway rides that will surely result from this tax. If anyone actually believes the money from this tax will immediately go towards improving transit, you're out of your minds. Improvements to the system are years off. Lines are packed beyond capacity - and the mayor wants to squeeze even more people in there...
Hope ya'all enjoy smelling more armpits and rubbing up against more strangers with bedbugs, viruses and the such...
Heaven forbid terrorists attack the subways. With as many people are down there now, there'd be a lot of dead people. Pack in some more, and it'll be far far worse.
Shame on Bloomberg for trying to ram this down the city's throat. Shelly Silver is a smart man. This thing needs to be planned out, not thrown at us like a brick.
yeah, they skew the results by not taking out commercial traffic that comes in for construction, HVAC work, florists, baked goods, etc, etc from the boroughs. either way, it only taxes folks within the city and people in NJ, LI, CT get off unscathed and that being the majority of commuter traffic, it doesn't make any sense... especially when considering the majority of city residents who commute are probably municipal employees who would be immune anyway.
From the NYT article:
Ugh, those people should be charged even more. Take the fucking subway.wow, I'm even more for congestion pricing now having read all these comments.
stay in your racist suburbs, then.
The racists has outed themselves again. I'll remember to put my snot on the hand rails from now on. how you like them virii?
All you need to do is put tolls on all the bridges coming into manhattan, much cheaper and easier than cameras. Of course it is a tax...How about using the toll money to maintain the current infrastructure?
I mean NJ drivers already pay 6 bucks for the holland tunnel and 10 bucks for the verrazano.
Exactly, what's with this EZ pass crap, tolls at all entrances is enough, why make it difficult?
They did it before during nine eleven, it can be done again.