From
City Hall:
With Gov. Andrew Cuomo refusing to show his hand on how to pay the MTA’s long-term costs, transit advocates hope he may one day come around to supporting a revised version of a controversial idea – congestion pricing.
Planners have been quietly working on a new version of the idea since last year, believing it has an inevitable place in the future of New York City’s regional transportation policy even though it has never won political support in Albany.
It comes as a coalition of transportation policy analysts mark the 100th anniversary today of the removal of tolls from Manhattan’s four East River bridges, which they say would otherwise have generated an extra $31 billion by now.Not everyone thinks this is a great idea.
27 comments:
Actually, Mr. Stern, congestion pricing is a great idea.
Unless you live east of the East River.
"Actually, Mr. Stern, congestion pricing is a great idea."
A great idea for whom, Manhattanites?
Tax some of these phony not for profits....like Korean
"churches" that save millions....only to invest it in their for profit businesses and real estate acquisitions.
Then the city can balance its books.
Any candidate stupid enough to push for congestion pricing will simply
not be elected.
Pols can cut their own throats if they must.
We'll be glad to sharpen the knife
at the polls!
It don't bother me.
I'm within 2 to 4 blocks of
four bus lines, the LIRR and an express bus.
I haven't owned a car since 1971 and just love not having the expense.
How do I get to Manhattan by car from Queens the few times I need to?
A car service!
Maybe I spent $500-900 last year doing this....cheaper than paying automobile insurance.
Other than that I can always rent an auto.
Because this city revolves around selfish people like anon #6.
Congestion pricing is coming. Bloomberg is already putting up some of the infrastructure for it under the guise of the traffic in motion program in Midtown. He even said the technology could be used for congestion pricing.
"A great idea for whom, Manhattanites?"
Not just people who live in Manhattan. Should result in cleaner air, less congestion in Manhattan and other boroughs, better funding of transit and minimal financial impact on those who can afford it.
It's coming, one way or another. Maybe not this year, or the next, but the reason it keeps popping up is that it is the most fair, equitable, efficient and sensible way to fund transit and to reduce traffic congestion. It's been proven to work over and over again around the world, and it's a damn shame that we don't have it here yet on the East/Harlem River bridges (we already have it on Port Authority bridges).
Oh yeah, sure, that's going to happen. The fact is in London that didn't happen, there was more congestion, dirtier air and just as many cars. So they hiked the fare even more. How will they do this plan without FIRST improving bus service? How about putting municipal parking near transit hubs so that people who live in the far reaches of the city - who really don't have much of a choice but to drive - can hop on mass transit? How will they implement this plan when the city and state are both broke? The cost of setting this up and running it will be more than is taken in. And if it is successful at reducing traffic, then duh - that means less money will be taken in to fund mass transit.
The whole thing is not "fair" it's a non-self-perpetuating money making scheme.
A good portion of the congestion in Manhattan is due to delivery vehicles. So let's tax the delivery trucks, cause the cost of goods to skyrocket, and watch business fall into the crapper.
As for clean air, the worst offenders are dirty buildings, not traffic.
cant we all just run our construction busineesses out of chinese church vans with tinited windows and power tools inside parked all over residential northeast queens, and we can get enourmus tax breaks, just write church on the side of the van, it workd for them.
as long as therre not shooting each other over chicken, what's the problem
Here's a question no one on the pro-pricing side has ever been able to answer for me.
If many of the subway lines are already running full trains as close together as possible, then how will the system handle the expected influx of former car drivers who will switch to mass transit?
t comes as a coalition of transportation policy analysts mark the 100th anniversary today of the removal of tolls from Manhattan’s four East River bridges, which they say would otherwise have generated an extra $31 billion by now.
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...which would have all been wasted away.
Buses, too, crapper.
The Q55 this morning, for example. Its during the summer (which means no teachers or students!) and it was packed full to the point they were just bypassing stops. Happens more times than not.
Where are more people going to fit?
That's a stupid question crappy. The answer is who cares as long as the wealthy can drive in a little less traffic.
I think the amount of traffic the congestion pricing plan will reduce will be minimal. Most traffic in midtown is trucks and taxis who drive in midtown out of necesseity, and people who can afford to live or garage their cars in midtown can afford the $8 a day. And what about the fact that the mayor wanted to not charge the people who already pay a hudson river toll? How is that any disincentive to drive in? The mayor doesnt want to reduce congestion as much as he wants to raise serious revenue. I wouldn't be surprised if he has stakes in companies that provide the technology for such a program.
How about the fact that not every area covered by the pricing plan is choked with traffic like the midtown core is.
"...minimal financial impact on those who can afford it...it is the most fair, equitable, efficient and sensible way to fund transit and to reduce traffic congestion."
Really? According to your logic those who are wealthier will pay more to drive into and through the Manhattan quickly while paying more cash for the privilege. Those who can't afford the pricing will be relegated to second class commuter status by having to use ditrty, delay ridden, and over crowded subways and buses.
Yup! In Bloomberg world that certainly is fair, equitable, efficient and sensible!
I wonder how all those Manhattanites will feel when all that traffic has to slow down on THEIR side of the river for the EZ Pass to register.
Of course, all our what's-best-for-Queens councilmembers will make sure that this technology is implemented on the Manhattan side of the East River.
George, there is no need for traffic to slow down at all to implement congestion pricing. There are now highway speed e-z pass tolls on the NJTPK and probably other highways as well.
The MTA is billions in the red thanks to Albany stealing dedicated transit funds. There is no need for congestion pricing whatsoever to pay for mass transit. Albany needs to be reigned in and everything will be fine.
"The MTA is billions in the red thanks to Albany stealing dedicated transit funds."
And do not forget, mr. crapster, the head of the MTA, Jay Walder, resigned just yesterday and HRH Andrew will have to annoint a new knight of the rails and roads.
And NYC's resident court jester had this to say according to the NY Times, "Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called Mr. Walder “a first-rate leader with big ideas” who had “made significant improvements to the customer experience,” and said that Mr. Walder’s departure was “a real loss for New York City, the metropolitan region, the state and the country.”
I wonder if Mikey paid him a first- rate big bonus to go to Hong Kong?
Should know better than to try to educate Queens Crappers.
You guys deserve everything coming to you.
Selfish? NO!
Use public transportation.
It's the most efficient AND CHEAPEST means of reaching Manhattan from the outer boroughs.
You're just f-----g lazy!
Cheapest, sure. Most efficient? Not if you are traveling anytime other than morning rush hour.
I love how he acts like the supposed 31 billion dollars would have gone to transportation projects. A million or so would go to transportation and the rest would have gone to dumb ideas that the city council loves to entertain.
More B.S. on top of your old B.S.
You're still a lazy lard-ass who'd rather add his share of pollution to the air than take a bus or train!
Historically speaking
most travelers into Manhattan have always preferred to leave their cars at home.....unless it was unfeasible or an emergency.
And that's why there's 12 hour parking under the el....
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