Comments on: Congestion pricing: The verdict is in

By: Queens Central » You’ll pay us $8 and like it

Queens Central » You’ll pay us $8 and like it — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:27:56 +0000

[…] couple weeks ago, when I got my panties all in a bunch about congestion pricing, it did occur to me that maybe there was a solution for the working-class […]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 18:53:02 +0000

I thought it was a bad idea to begin with. If the city is serious about reducing traffic, they could provide affordable municipal parking and increased bus and train service. This is just a tax. The businesses that send their trucks into the city every day aren’t going to stop doing so. They’ll just pass the costs on to the rest of us. Furthermore, even if some commuters are deterred by this tax, overall traffic congestion will not drop, it will simply be transferred from Manhattan to Queens & Brooklyn. While I doubt that would bother the mayor, it would bother me.

Now if Bloomberg were prepared to make this revenue neutral, say a city income tax rebate to residents of the outer boroughs or a reduction in mass transit fares that equals the revenue collected from the congestion tax, I might support it. Otherwise, not a chance.

By: FH Guy

FH Guy — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:48:48 +0000

I am very supportive of the proposal for congestion pricing. We don’t really know all the details yet so I think people should not jump to conclusions until certain details are known. As an example, maybe there should be an exemption for small businesses like the one you mention.

As to your point that getting from Point A to Point B should always be free, it isn’t free now. There are many costs to having so many people driving into Manhattan–traffic, pollution, adverse health impacts, road and bridge maintenance and rebuilding, etc.

I do think that there should be a restriction put on the money raised by any congestion fee that it should only be used for improvements to subways and buses.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:15:32 +0000

I haven’t taken issue with the other elements of Bloomberg’s plan, just the congestion pricing.

I’ve heard it’s been quite the success in London, but what works somewhere won’t necessarily work elsewhere. Different geographies, different cultures. And I would contend New York’s transit system doesn’t need “rebuilding,” just some minor improvements and increased upkeep.

By: bob

bob — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:09:07 +0000

It’s working great in London.

And helping to rebuild their transit system.

Bloomberg’s plan would allocate huge new improvements in the outer boroughs, not just manhattan.

http://commentisfree.guardian......he_cc.html