Nine Bklyn Councilmembers Vote Against Congest Fee
Yesterday the City Council voted in favor of congestion pricing “by an unusually slim margin,” according to the Times. Nay votes from many Brooklyn and Queens Councilmembers contributed to that 30-20 outcome, per a pdf sent out by the Queens Civic Congress (reprinted on the jump). Seven Brooklyn councilmembers—Simcha Felder, Sara M. Gonzalez, Letitia James,…
Yesterday the City Council voted in favor of congestion pricing “by an unusually slim margin,” according to the Times. Nay votes from many Brooklyn and Queens Councilmembers contributed to that 30-20 outcome, per a pdf sent out by the Queens Civic Congress (reprinted on the jump). Seven Brooklyn councilmembers—Simcha Felder, Sara M. Gonzalez, Letitia James, Domenic M. Recchia, Kendall Stewart, Albert Vann, and David Yassky—voted for the plan. On the other hand nine Brooklyn councilmembers voted against congestion pricing: Diana Reyna, Charles Barron, Bill de Blasio, Erik Martin Dilan, Mathieu Eugene, Lewis A. Fidler, Vincent J. Gentile, Darlene Mealy, and Michael C. Nelson. The Brooklyn no-ways were second only to the number from Queens; our Long Island neighbor had 10 councilmembers voting against the proposal, which now heads to Albany for approval.
City Council Approves Fee to Drive Below 60th [NY Times]
Congestion Pricing Passes Council, Brooklyn Vote 9-7 Against [Gowanus Lounge]
Photo by wka.
Who voted for the Congestion Tax (30)
Y – Eric N. Gioia, 26, Queens, Democrat
Y – John C. Liu, 20, Queens, Democrat
Y – Hiram Monserrate, 21, Queens, Democrat
Y – James Sanders, Jr., 31, Queens, Democrat
Y – Thomas White, Jr. 28, Queens, Democrat
Y – Maria del Carmen Arroyo, 17, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Maria Baez, 14, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Gale A. Brewer, 6, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Inez E. Dickens, 9, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Simcha Felder, 44, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y – Daniel R. Garodnick, 4, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Alan J. Gerson, 1, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Sara M. Gonzalez, 38, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y – Robert Jackson, 7, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Letitia James, 35, Brooklyn, Working Families
Y – G. Oliver Koppell, 11, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Jessica S. Lappin, 5 Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Melissa Mark-Viverito, 8, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Miguel Martinez, 10, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Michael E. McMahon, 49 Staten Island, Democrat
Y – Rosie Mendez, 2, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Annabel Palma, 18, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Christine C. Quinn, 3, Manhattan, Democrat
Y – Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., 47, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y – Joel Rivera, 15, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Larry B. Seabrook, 12, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Kendall Stewart, 45, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y – James Vacca, 13, Bronx, Democrat
Y – Albert Vann, 36, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y – David Yassky 33, Brooklyn, Democrat
ABSENT
Helen D. Foster, 16, Bronx, Democrat
Who voted AGAINST the Congestion Tax
N – Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., 32, Queens, Democrat
N – Tony Avella, 19, Queens, Democrat
N – Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., 27, Queens, Democrat
N – Dennis P. Gallagher, 30, Queens, Republican
N – James F. Gennaro, 24, Queens, Democrat
N – Melinda R. Katz, 29, Queens, Democrat
N – Diana Reyna, 34, Brooklyn/Queens, Democrat
N – Helen Sears, 25, Queens, Democrat
N – Peter F. Vallone Jr., 22, Queens, Democrat
N – David I. Weprin, 23, Queens, Democrat
N – Charles Barron, 42, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Bill de Blasio, 39, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Erik Martin Dilan, 37, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Mathieu Eugene, 40, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Lewis A. Fidler, 46, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Vincent J. Gentile, 43, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Vincent Ignizio, 51, Staten Island, Republican
N – Darlene Mealy, 41, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – Michael C. Nelson, 48, Brooklyn, Democrat
N – James S. Oddo, 50, Staten Island, Republican
With the cost of diesel fuel being what it is, I doubt truck drivers will be taking longer routes to avoid paying $8. Though it might depend on a particular truck’s fuel economy.
“All the discussion is about motorist, but the big cost is to trucks. Never any thought to what that may do. Obviously they can’t do deliveries by subway.”
The Port Authority of NY &NJ was formed with the sole purpose of building a tunnel for freight between Brooklyn and Jersey. It is getting near 100 years that this mandate has gone unheeded. Loss of quality of life, increased asthma rates, noise, pollution and infrastructure damage has been the the price that we pay for the lack of leadership in this area. Get rid of the trucks. Implement a comprehensive transportation plan for the area. Local deliveries only please.
10:11 Guest,
I’d be more “concerned” about the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of NYC residents who “need” to drive if they were more concerned about the impact of traffic on quality of life. My brownstone street is like a parking lot at 5:00 PM as drivers coming off the Brookyln Bridge use side streets to avoid the BQE and Atlantic Avenue. Horns honking, steres blaring and driving 60 miles an hour to squeek through a yellow light.
Ha Ha. -In a stunning turn of events, property becomes more valuable as a parking lot than as an apartment- If this is true, too bad for downtown Brooklyn who just spent the last 5 years getting rid of all the parking lots in trade for Condos and Townhouses. And to 9:39 and his No Truck Until Policy, sucks if you need to have furniture delivered (or are moving) to your apt. and they have a no delivery between 5pm and 9am policy. Or run a business that is typically closed after 7pm and now have to hire a 3rd shift to take in deliveries.
This is just another wasteful tax on the working people of New York and a regressive one to boot. The goal of the tax is too make it easier for the CEO types to zoom around in their limos with less traffic from the working man. For the rich this is a tax write off, to independent business men, the small business men trying to enter the City, the cost will be significant.
Plus, I guess we can finally write off China town as the last viable ethnic neighborhood in lower Manhattan as the poor Chinese will now be priced out from visiting with their families.
As for improving public transit, good luck. This is just more more tax money to be wasted by the MTA, the most corrupt and incompetent government agency in the State, and that is saying something.
You want to improve public transit, start by abolishing the MTA and returning it to City control. Otherwise you are throwing the tax money down a well.
It is easy for us who live fairly central city with good subway service and not rally far to travel to be for this proposal.
Of course, we need not care or be concerned to the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of NYC residents who don’t. May have to walk to as busline that connect to a subway line. And then they may not work 9-5ish where transit runs more frequently but gets out of work at midnight and travel to higher crime neighborhoods that most of Brownstoner readers couldn’t find on a map.
And then to add insult to injury – don’t even want to allow them to park nearer a convenient subway station.
Also, the new proposal unlike the 1st one, charges for FDR Drive – will that not add to congestion/pollution on BQE through our neighborhoods? Are more trucks going to take longer route to GWB and Verazano to avoid fees when going to NJ when Holland tunnel is shortest?
All the discussion is about motorist, but the big cost is to trucks. Never any thought to what that may do. Obviously they can’t do deliveries by subway.
Problem is people in Jersey and LI don’t have to pay it yet people in Brooklyn and Queens do.
After LI and NJ pay tolls, the congestion fee is subtracted for a zero cost.
Residents of NYC will be paying it but non residents won’t.
9:39 I like the cut of your jib. Let’s do lunch. I need an environmentalist like you working with me..
Mr. B- Why don’t you start putting a word limit on posts and making people sign in?