Hello all: Our ideas are becoming mainstream. Even our rhetoric - "...the dilly-dallying by New York state legislators over the mayors plan..." "...the panel must include independent and nonpartisan voices not the usual political toadies..."
Al Matano * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EDITORIAL A Bonus for Congestion Pricing Published: August 15, 2007 The federal government has attached some very smart conditions to the $350 million grant it awarded New York City yesterday as part of a broader $1.2 billion program to help cities relieve traffic congestion. The main condition is that the city must seek to reduce traffic through some kind of pricing mechanism, much as Mayor Michael Bloomberg envisioned in his original congestion-pricing plan. And mindful of the dilly-dallying by New York state legislators over the mayors plan Albany even missed an earlier deadline for submitting the proposal the federal government has sensibly set tougher rules and stricter deadlines. Albany must approve a plan within 90 days of convening next year, meaning roughly the end of March. The plan must be implemented by the end of March 2009 and remain in effect for at least 18 months. Those are strings everyone should be able to live with. The city and states elected leadership including Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Mr. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be responsible for naming a commission to hammer out details. If the final product is to be a credible one, the panel must include independent and nonpartisan voices not the usual political toadies and they must be capable of making the case for congestion pricing to the commuters and businesses who would be most affected. Washington sees the nations largest city as the right place to try congestion pricing. Mr. Bloombergs plan calls for a charge of $8 for cars and $21 for trucks, less tunnel and bridge tolls, for using congested areas during weekdays. The government grant would be used not only to plan the program but to underwrite improvements in mass transit, including hundreds of rapid transit buses and East River ferries. The city could borrow against future fees to pay for the mechanisms, including traffic cameras, needed to collect the congestion charge, which is a fair deal. There is much needless alarm about congestion pricing at this early stage. No one wants to pay more for streets that have always been free, but after London began charging cars to enter the city center, public scorn for the idea turned into strong support. In Stockholm, Swedes also viewed congestion pricing with great skepticism, but by the end of a six-month trial, they asked that it be made permanent. Federal money could help make New York the next big city to improve its traffic flow. Its up to city and state politicians to work with the public to make it happen. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
