It's the #1 story at the Queens weeklies:Mayor would boost mass transit with Manhattan toll for drivers
South Qns. clamors for more transit
Worth consideration
Outer Borough Outraged by Bloomberg's PlaNYC
Congestion Pricing Unfair To Queens Drivers
Queens Pans Mayor's 'Congestion' Plan
Drivers, Business Owners Protest Congestion Plan
Queens pans congestion pricing plan
Boro Leaders Rip City’s $8 Car Fee
Photo from Queens Chronicle
13 comments:
Its really interesting how the spin in the media tends towards avoiding a discussion on the costs of development at all costs.
Only after everthing is built will they say, "oh wow, look at this, we need to do something."
C'mon guys. Bloomberg needs moolah for Park Avenue street sweeping. Where else should the money come from?
I visited Singapore once. They've had a similar plan for years. It works. I think Bloomberg may be right on this one.
Queens residents make up the largest chunk of driving commuters. Like it or not, we're the largest cause of the problem.
No, the largest cause of the problem is the shitty public transportation system that we have here in Queens. We shouldn't be punished for that.
Here's what you can take to the bank:
Drivers will pull every trick in the book to avoid paying the $8 (for starters). So, rather than driving all the way into Manhattan, they will park as close in as possible in neighborhoods near busses and subways. [This "commuter" parking has already been common for many, many years in many neighborhoods.]
So, what's next will be commuters' competition for rare, all day unmetered parking. Commuters will then block driveways, park in driveways, in school and merchants' parking.
After that, the solution will be meters for neighborhoods. We will pay for the commuters. Bloomberg couldn't care less where the money comes from.
Manhattan will be congestion-free. The "Precious" people will be oh, so happy. The "Little People" will be playing bumper cars to the delight of the jaded elites.
It doesn't ever have to happen. No edict from dimwitted Bloomberg is inevitable.
We need to instruct this impudent elitist what's going to happen.
Get your keyboard and write. Call 311 and leave an opinion for him.
You're his boss and you must remind him of that.
I think "taxpayer" raises some good points. I personally support congestion pricing, but I think some of these questions need to have good answers before we implement.
This whole congestion pricing proposal is DOA politically. It requires the approval of Albany and it's not going to happen.
Regardless, I oppose it because it doesn't affect the rich and poor equally. I could support a traffic proposal that affected everyone the same way, but the fact is that financial barriers only affect people who can't afford to pay. That means that the Trumps and Bloombergs of the world will be able to drive all the want wherever they want and the rest of us will be relegated to the buses and subways.
When Donald Trump and the Chairman of Goldman Sachs are forced to the subway I'll be happy to ride next to them. But it's unfair to weed out the poor and middle class while leaving others untouched.
There has to be a fairer way to reduce traffic for everyone. We shouldn't parcel out the use of vital public resources by how much money people have.
Bloomberg already travels by subway. He's not Trump. He didn't inherit his money from his family and piss it away only to hide behind bankruptcy protection twice. At least he worked hard for it. I'm as envious of his money as the next guy, but I'm not going to hold it against him.
But to ask my fellow Queensians who drive to work rather than take mass transit. Why not carpool? Spit the ride four ways and it costs $2, just like the subway, less than the express bus. And it's only paid one-way. Plus you can split the gas. During the strike, carlpooling occurred. Surely a website exists or could be developed to help people meet each other?
I have my own congestion pricing plan and this will really get rid of unnecessary cars in the CBD and bring in tons of cash to boot.
Here it goes. Establish a new ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR PER RIDE surcharge on all black car trips other than emergencies to the hospital or trips to the airports.
Let's face it folks, all of the black car trips, which clog the streets and usually block the streets and bus stops with double parked idling fume spewing vehicles are usually taken by folks with enough bucks to live mostly in expensive areas of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the 'burbs which are actually very well served by transit, whether NYC transit or the commuter lines. These cars clog major thoroughfares in the city waiting for their riders who are at the gym after work or finishing a day of leisure bossing others around who really do the actual work. And believe me, they can afford the surcharge. Mostly corporations, who get a free public transit system to bring in the vast army of underpaid workers from the boroughs pay for these limos.
But we won't stop there. Take away the vast SUV parades for public officials and give them instead a special free lifetime Metro-card and a smile. Also, BAN STRETCH LIMOS and the tourist buses which give better service to a bunch of hicks from podunk than our very own MTA gives citizens of SE Queens. And how about those dumb vans which drive around midtown with no other purpose than carrying ads??? How about sending the presidents of the corporations using those to jail? Or better yet, make them clean the subway for a week.
One more thing. Rebuild the High Line and knock down that qawdawful trump development on the west side and rebuild the freight yards and get the trucks off the streets!!!!
Ok what will we do with the new revenue generated by my plan??? We're going to use it to buy each and every SE Queens resident a nice hybrid auto. We'll also build park and rides for them in western Queens near the subways and provide extra short turn service on the trains. The cars are provided with the provision that they will be confiscated along with the owners drivers permit if they are used within the CBD. Users of the park and ride facilities get a free ride on mass transit.
I know this won't go through because it penalizes the wealthy fat cats, who really only want the streets emptier for their black cars and limos to speed through. But it's a dream I have anyway.
Look guys, the city is going to do everything it can to bury any nasty by products of overdevelopment - its sort of like SUVs and global warming.
Only when people are in bathing suits on the Artic will you get action from the government (afterall, the Republican and Democratic leadership have a lot more in common with each other than you and me - their SUVs, trophy homes, jetting around the world on frivilous trips and such other wasteful American lifestyle props are common currency within both camps.)
NYC? Only when it becomes accepted wisdom in popular culture that the city is unlivable because its infrastructure has fallen hoplessly behind will you get its politicians rising to the platitude level.
So Queens Crap, keep pounding it on. Keep pounding it on.
Bloomberg, Trump, the CEO of Goldman Sachs will purchase "Congestion Offsets" from companies they own so they can drive anywhere at anytime in any roadhog they purchase.
Watch for the Congestion Scams being developed right now. See who profits. It is not going to be you, dear reader. You are the "Little People" Bloomberg loathes.
Just say "No Way Bloomberg!" Say that to him.
Would no more toll free bridges help or hinder the situation? I'm, personally, wary of this measure that's been suggested before.....and I don't even own a car (or drive)!
If a guy owns a small business and has to make deliveries using bridges or tunnels.....how about a "small business discount", at least for him! Yeah....sre! Screw the working man!
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