Business Group Recommends Congestion Pricing
Brooklyn Bridge Traffic, photo by Elvis Payne via Flickr A study released yesterday finds that traffic congestion is costing NYC and its suburbs more than $13 billion annually. The report, commissioned by the Partnership for New York City, a group of 200 business leaders, recommends that the city take a closer look at the idea…
Brooklyn Bridge Traffic, photo by Elvis Payne via Flickr
A study released yesterday finds that traffic congestion is costing NYC and its suburbs more than $13 billion annually. The report, commissioned by the Partnership for New York City, a group of 200 business leaders, recommends that the city take a closer look at the idea of charging cars to drive through traffic-choked corridors–like, um, all of Manhattan south of 60th Street. Bloomberg says it’s unlikely he’ll adopt such a plan, but a recent poll indicates that many voters, dissatisfied with his handling of traffic problems, might actually support a congestion pricing scheme.
For Brooklyn-dwelling car commuters, such a policy would certainly cause inconvenience. But as Streetsblog explains in a great article on the issue, some advocates argue that congestion pricing would be better for the borough’s neighborhoods, which have shouldered much of the cost of current tolling schemes–like the one-way toll over the Verrazano Bridge that encourages drivers to use Brooklyn surface roads. What do you think about congestion pricing–any drivers out there? Or are you a pedestrian or biker in a gridlocked neighborhood?
Report Recommends City Study Option of Congestion Pricing [NY Sun]
Mayor Says Fee on Peak Traffic Is Not Likely [NY Times]
Congestion pricing plan gains speed in toll poll [NY Daily News]
Congestion Charging in New York City: The Political Bloodbath
Time to ask those that use the bridges to pay for them.
And if that means less rush hour traffic blasting their horns outside my wndow, that’d be nice too.
Congestion pricing in London reads license plates – there is no toll plaza.
Bridge tolls would suck, but I do support congestion charges for parts of Manhattan. However, what would be most useful in reducing traffic in NYC is an increased effort to create viable, safe (separated from the traffic by a concrete divider) bike lanes! A lot of people want to ride bikes in the city but are afraid.
Look at the toll plazas for the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (in Brooklyn), the Verrazano Bridge (in Staten Island, the Holland Tunnel (in New Jersey), the Lincoln Tunnel (in New Jersey). Now, visualize a toll plaza at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge straddling Adams Street, or a Manhattan Bridge toll plaza on Flatbush Avenue. Instead of coming up with ways to punish drivers (who will eventually get used to and absorb the higher costs), the city and state should be looking at ways to make public transit a more practical and more attractive alternative.
i already pay a bridge toll. subway fare on the D train across the manhattan bridge, twice a day.
why don’t drivers pay a bride toll too for chrissake?
bridge tolls would be the best thing to ever happen to bklyn. better than the non-bridge toll pricing scheme that the partnership proposed. bridge tolls would significantly reduce through-traffic in the neighborhoods of north brooklyn and down flatbush. bridge tolls would keep a fair amount of discretionary spending dollards — restaurants, theaters, etc — in brooklyn, potentially. it’d help make our neighborhood streets more livable.
but most of all, let’s not forget the bigger benefits: less traffic congestion all around, lots more $ for transit, biking and public space improvements, less cancer and asthma-causing pollutants for our kids’ beleagured lungs, less contribution to climate change and oil war…
don’t be so freaking parochial people. there are big issues at stake here with our auto dependence.
10:16, if you take the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan it costs you $2.00 (less any discounts) to cross the East River; why should driving there be free?
1:51, the report is at http://www.nycp.org. all you had to do is plug “Partnership for New York City” into a search engine.
I ride subway mostly. Am not opposed to ‘congestion pricing’ but am vehemently opposed to bridge tolls.
Bridge tolls further bestow 2nd class status to non-Manhattan boroughs.
But if want to charge for entering certain parts of Manhattan at specific hours ok (and could also do for downtown Brooklyn also).
If want to reduce traffic in Manhattan – add a $2 tax on all taxi and limo rides. From my window in midtown – traffic looks mostly yellow cabs, black town cars and commercial vans.