Saturday, July 7, 2007

An alternative to congestion tax?

Assemblyman Rory Lancman has come up with an alternate plan which he hopes will spare commuters the tax and get them to work quicker:

Lancman's bill includes incentives that would provide tax breaks to businesses that allow their employees to telecommute, institute car pool lanes, eliminate or reduce the tolls at all bridges and tunnels into Manhattan during weekday peak hours to promote deliveries and infuse $500 million from the state general fund to increase mass transit for the outer boroughs.

Lancman has counter plan to congestion pricing

Pol Argues Incentives Over Congestion Tax

Local Assemblyman Offers Up Alternative To Congestion Pricing

Too Much Stick, Not Enough Carrots

Photo from Queens Tribune

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its so funny. Eastern Queens thinks nothing of downzoning to push development into western Queens, then when there is something that benefits western Queens, like congestion pricing, suddenly 'Queens' is against it.

Oh?

Anonymous said...

This is the lamest proposal yet. News flash to Tony Avella: the "people who can least afford it” are already taking the train!

All those people who are worried about Long Islanders driving into their neighborhoods to park near the train, well, the best way to ensure that is to build big parking lots for them!

I take it that the Courier is wrong about Lancman proposing to "eliminate or reduce the tolls at all bridges and tunnels into Manhattan during weekday peak hours"; that's an incentive to drive!

The expansion of express bus service is a good idea, and of course it's already in PlaNYC. Why didn't Lancman and Avella propose it years ago? Because they don't actually care about bus riders. What a couple of bullshit artists.

The telecommuting and carpooling incentives are a good idea, but they're not going to do much on their own. In fact, there are plenty of people who drive into Manhattan despite all the "carrots" that are currently being offered. Time to break out the stick!

Anonymous said...

Newsflash: congestion pricing will now prevent traffic accidents on Queens Boulevard.

Lancman is supporting elimination of tolls for carpoolers.

A lot of people who can least afford it own their vehicles for business purposes and need to drive them into Manhattan. So much for self-made men these days. Hey doesn't Bloomberg tout himself as one of those?

Anonymous said...

Take Bloomie's limo away, make him live in Queens for just a week, and you'll see a different tune being sung by him about this issue.

Anonymous said...

Everybody wants to be a star hitter in the ball game !

The only REAL alternative....
is to curtail rampant and malignant over development.... without any regard for its devastating consequences !

Anonymous said...

It's not a tax. If you believe that, you've been fooled by the scare tactics used by certain politicians and community "leaders".

Parking lots only encourage bad behavior from Long Island drivers. The idea is to get them out of their cars.

Anonymous said...

I thought that Tony Avella was for us "little" guys. He turns out to be nothing but a tax and spend liberal!!

He is just another politician - out for votes!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"Take Bloomie's limo away, make him live in Queens for just a week, and you'll see a different tune being sung by him about this issue."

How's this: Take "Bloomie" the Commissar away"

Congratulations Assemblyman Lancman! So, it is actually possible for an elected official to use creative thinking and imagination to examine what is called a problem.

In the meantime, the Commissar can only think of compulsion, like a good soviet. No wonder the Commissar supports Hillary. Both believe in forceful government compulsion.

Go to it, Assemblyman Lanceman. The Commissar loves compulsion; now compel him to actually think.

Anonymous said...

This proposal is a joke. And anyone who thinks it's not needs to wake up and realize that they're being told what they want to hear. Telecommuting. Ha. You want to avoid paying for bridges? Stop fighting those of us who want to be able to live close to work. Rather than right development and then complain about traffic, encourage it so that there isn't any.

If you really want to stop congestion pricing, as it looks more likely every time I laugh at these jokes in the media, then you eastern Queens people should lobby the city counsil to cut NYPD pay even more. Crime will rise, people will leave the city, traffic will go down, and you can drive your ("self made") selves to work rather than have to get on the icky wicky bus.

Anonymous said...

I'm not supporting him......... but branding Avella as a "liberal" ?

Is that the best that a knee jerk constipated conservative can come up with to make a valid point...... really now?

What grade school do you attend sonny ?

Let's hear some adult arguments please....your general category of "politician bashing" isn't cutting it !

How does a dose of some of your own medicine taste....for example....just to retort your own dumb comment with another dumb comment from me?