Congestion Pricing Defeat a Win for the Boroughs?
The Times is describing the death of congestion pricing behind closed doors in Albany yesterday as something of a victory for Brooklyn and Queens, since the plan “was strongly opposed by a broad array of politicians from Queens, Brooklyn and New York’s suburbs, who viewed the proposed congestion fee as a regressive measure that overwhelmingly…
The Times is describing the death of congestion pricing behind closed doors in Albany yesterday as something of a victory for Brooklyn and Queens, since the plan “was strongly opposed by a broad array of politicians from Queens, Brooklyn and New York’s suburbs, who viewed the proposed congestion fee as a regressive measure that overwhelmingly benefited affluent Manhattanites.” Brooklyn City Councilmembers were clearly divided on the issue: Last week nine voted against the measure and seven voted for it. It remains to be seen now whether the residential parking permits initiative, which was contingent upon congestion pricing legislation passing, is also dead for the foreseeable future. Whether or not the defeat was a win for Brooklyn and the other boroughs, it was obviously a bruising loss for Mayor Mike. The mayor issued a statement that says, in part: “Today is a sad day for New Yorkers and a sad day for New York City. Not only won’t we see the realization of a plan that would have cut traffic, spurred our economy, reduced pollution and improved public health, we will also lose out on nearly $500 million annually for mass transit improvements and $354 million in immediate federal funds…It takes true leadership and courage to embrace new concepts and ideas and to be willing to try something. Unfortunately, both are lacking in the Assembly today. If that wasn’t shameful enough, it takes a special type of cowardice for elected officials to refuse to stand up and vote their conscience on an issue that has been debated, and amended significantly to resolve many outstanding issues, for more than a year.” Most of the dailies have stories about how Bloomberg played a hand in the bill’s defeat by using hardball tactics with legislators. The Times notes that “many opponents said they resented the pressure and threats that they said emanated from Mr. Bloomberg’s side, including hints that the mayor would back primary candidates to run against politicians who opposed congestion pricing.”
$8 Traffic Fee for Manhattan Gets Nowhere [NY Times]
It’s (Apparently) Official: Congestion Pricing Is Dead [Streetsblog]
Bloomberg Unleashes Fury as Silver Halts Congestion Pricing [NY Daily News]
Mayor’s Duck Is Looking A Bit Lame [NY Sun]
Nine Bklyn Councilmembers Vote Against Congest Fee [Brownstoner]
Mayor Rolls Out Resident Parking Permit Proposal [Brownstoner]
Photo by neysapranger.
I own a car and supported CP. I only drive it once or twice a week, and even though the 8 bucks would have hurt, I would have been willing to pay it if it sped up traffic.
The only problem is that I doubt it would have helped much with traffic (see VNB and SIE as examples of where high tolls haven’t helped much).
I also would have preferred to hear of specific areas that increased funds would have gone to; for example, CP should have been coupled with a concrete timeline for express buses, new subway lines, separated bike lanes, reduced parking placards, etc. As is, the plan seemed a little nebulous.
I hope it is resurrected, maybe next year, with better details.
4:17, obviously you don’t read much. Master of the Universe refers to Wall Street types, as described in Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, and the phrase has been in use since he wrote the book. I obviously meant downtown in the financial district.
And I obviously meant bumper stickers, parking stickers, school or beach parking stickers that indicate the communities where people live. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes (another literary reference) to figure it out. I think your farts have internalized right into your brain, so you better be careful about that. Could be dangerous.
If you don’t like traffic, you will not like living in the city. The city is not about nature or fresh air or growin’ good hay. You want the country. I look at some of these twenty-somethings with their mud-kicking boots and their giant wilderness backpacks on the subway. They look for all the world like they have been transported from remotest Montana to the center of Gotham. Honestly, I think young people are so confused. when they go to camping do they get all dressed up in sophisticated suits and pinpoint shirts? there is the CITY and there is the STICKS. where’s the confusion?
In the city there is traffic and sometimes the air stinks. if you are too much the delicate petunia to stand it then seek the greener environs of the sticks, the US is full of boring rural areas but there is only one NY.
I think the Mayor should clean up his own house first free the street’s of traffic and congestion created by the city owned cars.Just walk around City Hall cars are parked in no standing zones all day. They are parked in bike lanes. There are doubled parked cars for blocks in front of the courts on Center St causing congestion every day. This is the toll they wanted and did not get on the East river bridges. We should demand the City follow the same parking rules the rest of us must follow.
How about closing one of the arteries leading off the Brooklyn Bridge and make it a parking lot for the police then give tickets to the drivers stuck in the congestion on the Bridge.
“Only the Rich deserve to live in Manhattan” concept.
HOW TRUE!!! BUT I would take that even further- CP was yet one more not so subtle attempt to make the ENTIRE city a place for ONLY the rich or near rich. CP would have impacted the the outer boroughs by way of parking permits and who know what else. All this would accomplish would be to make NYC harder to live in for those who are only barely hanging on now.
There is a concerted movement to push certain groups out of this city. And I don’t mean to NJ. -that would be to close for elitists, Pennsylvania in the Poconos is more like it. Those of us who take note of these things know what’s up. CP-needed to die. I am glad it did. As for the money being used for mass transit yeah, that’s like OTB money being used for education.
Face it, NYC has always been messy, crowded and congested-but some how all that and more has made it fertile ground for creativity, diversity, and the habitation of the the most dynamic varied people in America. With this push now to get all but the so called upper classes out of the 5 boroughs it’s in danger of losing that in fact NYC HAS already lost a great deal of it’s verve. BUT with CP defeated, it gives people like me some hope those plans may yet be stopped. Bloomberg was dead wrong on this. It’s time for a change.
Al
P.S. 10:19 was on point all the way about the police state thing & CP. Well said.
There are way too many cars in the city. Congestion pricing would have been great for this city.
The point has already been made, but why should people have to pay to take mass transit but get a free ride when they drive in??
And the fact that they didn’t even put it to a vote because there wasn’t enough evidence of support for it?…wow. Disgraceful.
The first order or business for any competent city official should be to fire every employee at the MTA who doesn’t actually drive a train and sue all the fat cats who are milking the dollars out of our transit system for all they’re worth. The second order of business would be to create a competent organization to run the mass transit in this city.
congestion pricing will help business? ha! that’s a Big Lie suitable for Lenin or Stalin. Yes, comrade, let the state help you out a little with your business, don’t worry, you’re going to love it. it won’t hurt…..
congestion pricing will help business? ha! that’s a Big Lie suitable for Lenin or Stalin. Yes, comrade, let the state help you out a little with your business, don’t worry, you’re going to love it. it won’t hurt…..