Congestion plan returns as bridge tolls
BY PETE DONOHUE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Congestion pricing is far from dead and will likely resurface, possibly in the form of adding tolls to free bridges, city officials and advocates predicted Friday.
City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said it's too soon to eulogize congestion pricing, which died behind closed doors in Albany last month.
"Most big things in New York don't go through the first time around," Sadik-Khan said at a panel discussion at the Regional Plan Association's annual conference.
"At the end of the day, the failure on congestion pricing that occurred last month was just a setback," said a fellow panelist, former Deputy Mayor Marc Shaw. "I think it will be reconsidered in the near future."
He predicted congestion pricing would come back in a somewhat different and "purer" form: tolls at the East River bridges and across 60th St.
Shaw chaired a commission that recommended charging $8 to drive below 60th St. It largely would have affected drivers who do not currently pay to enter lower Manhattan because they use free East River bridges. The goals included reducing traffic and generating funds to improve the mass transit system.
The issue will "rise again," Shaw said, as the state gets down to figuring out how to fund the MTA's next five-year capital program, which includes expansion projects such as the Second Ave. subway. The current plan expires next year.
Richard Ravitch, the former transit chief picked by Gov. Paterson to lead a search for funding solutions, will be considering congestion pricing, according to Shaw.
7 comments:
I hope it fails again. How dare you try and shove another tax down New Yorkers throats.
Bring back the commuter tax. Limit the taxi cabs and stop issuing city placards. That will stop the congestion.
As for the money...the MTA has money. Right after they hike up the fares again they will find it ....they always do.
I'd like to know what accounting firm does their books!
I hope it fails again. How dare you try and shove another tax down New Yorkers throats.
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and shove development into western Queens while your downzone eastern Queens.
The polution is this city is one of the worst in the country.
If this means cleaner air, I am for congestion pricing.
The city already said that congestion pricing would have a negligible effect on air pollution. The air pollution would simply be redistributed to other parts of the city.
How, exactly, does eastern Queens shove development on Western Queens (I'd like to see neither developed) - Raise prices enough to keep the population at the current level, if not a tad lower
And does anyone have a wooden stake, a cross and a silver bullet?
I think our western Queensite
(who legally resides in Yorkville)
is posting again.....
forever bitching about
eastern Queens causing everything
from global warming to fleas!
As soon as congestion pricing
was defeated, I knew Mayor Bum-berg
was going to advocate for tolls
on the free bridges.
This egomaniac
would charge you for the privilege
of inhaling one of his farts!
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