The environmental and health benefits expected to result from lighter traffic are fairly modest—congestion pricing will reduce pollution between 2 and 4 percent, according to the Mayor’s figures.Happy Bedfellows Spend Big for Mayor’s Plan
Oh boy, what a difference! Let's implement this boondoggle immediately. We'll ask questions later...
As a State Legislator who is faced with deciding whether or not to approve the Congestion Pricing Plans proposed by the Mayor of the City of New York, I must ask: who is really going to benefit from these plans, and who is going to suffer from their impact?
Diaz's Congestion Pricing Problems
CONGE$TION PLAN IN A JAM
Hey we said ask questions later, ok?
I love The Commuter Diaries in the NY Press. It's too bad they didn't print mine.
A veteran cabbie rails against ‘Bloomberg’s Playground’
"Soon, the people living in the boroughs will be rowing over boats from Long Island City, storming the beaches."
I have my oars right here...
Hey what happened at that forum in Astoria?
No matter how you slice it, someone loses with a commuter tax
So could you say that even with a congestion charge the MTA might raise subway fares anyway? No one on the panel was equipped to answer, but if anyone believes the fare won’t rise—whether the new charge passes or not—have I got a bridge to sell you...since congestion charge advocates expect traffic at the Triboro Bridge to increase as part of the plan, things aren’t getting any better.
Photo from NY Press
6 comments:
I don't own a car and live far away from Manhattan (in northeast Queens).
Forced to take a car service to and from "the island" (to bring in a heavy computer for repairs) cost me about $60 round trip!
What would it cost me now with added pass along charges......a senior citizen on fixed income? !!!!!
Why should I be penalized for any necessary auto trips? !!!!! Am I going to get a senior discount? Sure.....I'm not holding my breath!!!
Anonymous handles computers and may agree with this 45 year expert opinion.
How reliable will the software be? As various people go from location to location below the "line" how many EZ Pass readers are going to be scanning and re-scanning the EZ Pass on the windshield?
Why should the city care that the software works correctly at all times? It will not care. Overcharges will be the drivers' concern.
Like traffic court, disputes will always be "resolved" in favor of the city, which will have already collected from the driver's account, anyway. Try to get a refund. Yeah right!
A promise to "fix" the overcharge problem will be the perennial campaign yak, with any "fix" resulting in other, newer, overcharge problems.
Have you ever had problems swiping a brand-new Metrocard?
Why would anyone believe in an honest software system that would never overcharge, and, when defects are found, instantly refund money erroneously collected?
Quality from a municipal government? Never! There's no incentive for the software to do an honest job. Collect, collect, collect will be the orders to get a programmer any promotion.
A quick story: Years ago while consulting for a nationwide merchandiser, the Accounts PAYABLE software failed (it was not part of my portfolio). I learned of the problem and reported it to one of the senior managers. The manager's instructions to me? Get lost! It's the Accounts PAYABLE system that's broken. We don't care!
Why would any municipal software development manager act any more responsibly when the politicians' message is: COLLECT!!!
This entire idea is flawed on every count from the start. It has never been thought through. But Commissar Bloomberg, a lousy manager, believes that if he commands it, we will roll over and obey. Think again, Comrade. Your Soviet dream never came true. Never will, either.
I want to correct some misinformation in John Desio's NY Press article: the bike paths on the bridges are not "in traffic," they are fully separated from car traffic by the next best thing to "titanium cages": concrete barriers and steel beams. Have Desio or the woman he quotes ever been on the bridge paths? I encourage people to across the bridges and check out the views.
Also, John McDonagh repeats the myth of the "working-class commuter" driving in to Manhattan. For all the efforts of congestion pricing opponents, you'd think they'd be able to find at least one actual working class commuter. Why haven't they? Maybe because there are none?
grvsmth,
I appreciate your contributions to this discussion, however, when you hyperlink, please use "/a" in brackets <> at the end of the text you want to link, otherwise, the entire post gets linked and I have to fix it, like I just did above, which isn't easy. Thanks.
I'm really sorry, Crapper! I keep forgetting. I'll try to remind myself.
I think Mayor Nanny Bloomie is a very arrogant man. I also highly doubt he rides the subway that much. He's the mayor, I want someone driving him around so he can work and make calls and stuff. New Yorkers shouldn't want him wasting all that time on the subway.
We all have to wonder what Bloomberg is really thinking of with this congestion pricing tax scheme. Maybe he mostly just wants a new tax. Just wrap it up in ‘concern for the environment’, and then people can just demonize those who oppose it.
If he cares so much about traffic jams, congestion and air pollution, why does he let Park Avenue be blocked off? Why doesn’t he do anything about that?
It's true, Pershing Square Restaurant blocks Park Avenue going South at 42nd St. for about 12 hours a day/5 months of the year! This Causes Massive Congestion and Air Pollution!
But apparently it does not bother NYC’s Nanny-in-Chief Mike “Congestion Pricing Tax” Bloomberg?
It certainly supports his claim that the city is hugely congested.
Check out the map!
http://whataplanet.blogspot.com
http://preview.tinyurl.com/38obfd
Check it out!
Thanks,
Little Blue PD
:)
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