Friday, December 18, 2009

Congestion tax: Here we go again...

From the Daily News:

...with the MTA facing an unexpected budget hole of up to $700 million, Bloomberg said, the revenue from a toll could be irresistible to Albany lawmakers - while also cutting traffic and pollution in Manhattan.

Yes: Cutting traffic and pollution in Manhattan, while sending it everywhere else. That's the Bloomberg way. In case he hasn't noticed, fewer people are already taking mass transit and driving. So how will this plan pay off?

From Neighborhood Retail Alliance:

[Our] own fabled chief executive...on the issue of environmental purity, is fully unclothed. And while he prattles on about the need for another tax on cars going in to Manhattan, he is supporting the dumping of 70,000 tons of CO2 from the proposed Willets Point development. While at the same time we may add, he is bemoaning the defeat of the Kingsbridge Armory project that will also threaten the health and safety of the residents of that local Bronx neighborhood by dramatically increasing the vehicular traffic in a community already overwhelmed by too many cars and trucks.

But there's more - and it takes the wisdom of Speaker Silver to point out further hypocrisies in the mayor's effort to green the city. As the Observer points out: "On NY1 last night, Silver said, "[T]he mayor has added congestion by narrowing streets, by putting benches in the middle of the city — and this was the same mayor who talked about congestion when he was going to build a football stadium in the middle of the most congested part of the city. They've now put park benches in the middle of Times Square, reduced Broadway traffic up and downtown from four lanes down to one or two, and lower Broadway down to one lane. So, he's created congestion just in these traffic patterns that have taken place."

Ah, the sheer nakedness is truly embarrassing
.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congestion pricing is just b-bergs way of keeping the unwashed out of nyc.

Anonymous said...

Silver has no idea what he's talking about.

Congestion pricing is WAY overdue. We needed it 10 years ago!

Anonymous said...

Silver is wrong about Bloomberg wanting a West Side Stadium which would have brought traffic to a complete standstill? Revisionist history, anonymous.

Anonymous said...

Here we go again. Mayor Bloomberg always gets his way.

BRING BACK THE COMMUTER TAX!

NO CONGESTION PRICING TAX!

Back in the Hood said...

Bring back a New Yorker as mayor...

Anonymous said...

Toll the bridges already! Why should people who don't use them give everyone else a free ride? You all sit there and don't care that buses and subway service has to get cut in part because those who drive over the bridges get a free ride.

Anonymous said...

"Why should people who don't use them give everyone else a free ride?"

Why should people who don't use the subway subsidize your ride?

Anonymous said...

Wake up everyone! Bloomberg brokered a deal with the MTA when he gave them their raise. He knew that people would choose Congestion Pricing over cutting discounted fares for students. As usual, he has to have his way and this was all part of the plan.

Anonymous said...

Forget congestion pricing. Bring back the Commuter Tax. It worked once and brought in lots of revenue. Let out of staters pay for something. So tired of being taxed to death. You know Mayor Mike won't rest until he has his way. He's determined to get his congestion tax hike. Like I said, "Bring Back The Commuter Tax."

Lino said...

"Anonymous said...
Silver has no idea what he's talking about.
Congestion pricing is WAY overdue. We needed it 10 years ago!"

No it is DEAD wrong. The boroughs are not other States. This is just a cynical attempt to wring more cash out of people.

Re-impose the Commuter Tax.

Anonymous said...

Thank god I finally got out of that hell hole, ridgewood queens and moved to Manhattan. The transportation system actually works here.