Weighing in on the modified congestion pricing plan the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission recommended, Mayor Bloomberg said:
"The Commission has done a thorough and thoughtful job. They've taken testimony from hundreds of residents, community leaders and civic organizations. They've held dozens of public meetings and have analyzed mountains of data. Although the final recommendation varies from our original proposal, I accept it.
"We will work with our partners in the Council and the State Legislature, and with Governor Spitzer, to make sure that we enact a proposal that meets our goals by March 31st. New York cannot afford to walk away from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds and a guaranteed revenue stream for the MTA's capital plan - which is necessary if we're going to continue to grow and thrive - and we can't afford to do nothing about traffic choking congestion, which is costing our City billions and polluting our air."
The commission, made up of appointees from the Mayor, Governor, City Council, State Senate, and State Assembly, voted 13-2 for a plan that would charge drivers a fee when traveling below 60th Street in Manhattan (the mayor's plan would have charged a fee for driving below 86th Street). Overall, the plan would raise $491 million for mass transit.
The Feds have promised over $350 million, if the plan is enacted. There is also a $1 charge for cab or Town car rides in and out of the zone. E-Z Pass drivers who pay the fee would get a credit for bridge or tunnel tolls.
The Daily News notes, "It would also eliminate the only free route between the Bronx and Brooklyn or Queens: Drivers using the FDR Drive and an East River bridge would have to pay the $8 fee, even if they didn't stop in Manhattan." Which prompted Queens Councilwoman Melinda Katz to say it's
an unfair tax on commuters in the four boroughs outside Manhattan...There are still no guarantees that projected revenues generated from the congesting pricing plan will be spent on mass transit."
Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver, who had been dragging his feet on the plan last summer, thinks there's more work to be done, but Governor Spitzer thinks there's upside because "what you're getting in return is a much better developer, much more efficient and effective transportation system which will get you to the downtown region at a better price and faster."
Image from the commisson's report; VMT=Vehicle Miles Traveled
