Transportation Advocates Agree: The M.T.A. Is in 'Deep Doo-Doo'
Last night at the New York Blood Center auditorium on the Upper West Side, Assemblyman Micah Kellner moderated a panel on post-congestion-pricing solutions for city transportation that reached a general consensus but no real solution: Congestion pricing is not a bad idea, the proposal was just executed poorly, and right now the M.T.A. is, as one panelist said, in “deep doo-doo.”
“The congestion pricing plan proposed by Mayor Bloomberg failed to gain approval in the State Legislature in the spring,” said Kellner, who was a vocal proponent of congestion pricing. "Neither the plan’s supporters nor its critics seem to have a firm idea of what to do next.”
Before introducing the panelists, he explained that they had invited a representative from the M.T.A. (“Just so it didn’t seem like we were M.T.A.-bashing"), but the authority “chose not to participate.”
The evening's guests included labor lawyer Theodore Kheel (later introduced as “a great hero from the last century in mass transit”), Gene Russianoff of the NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign and Jeffrey Zupan from the Regional Plan Association. They sat onstage in front of an audience of about 40, passing two semi-effective microphones back and forth.
“I personally supported congestion pricing as well as the millionaires' tax,” Kellner said, “because I believe New York is really facing a traffic and mass transit crisis requiring decisive action.”
He then passed both microphones to Kheel, who is 93 years old, and whose past in New York’s transit agencies is legendary. Kheel also made headlines recently when he proposed using revenue from congestion pricing to make mass transit totally free.
On the politics of congestion pricing, Kheel said, “The promotion, I thought, was in the wrong order. If you start out with free transit, you start out with something people would welcome.”
Russianoff said, “The M.T.A. is in the middle of a gigantic financial crisis. I don’t believe they’re crying wolf, I believe they have tremendous problems.”
He went on to say that only once before, in 1980 and '81, were there fare hikes during consecutive years (as there likely will be in 2007 and 2008) and that the M.T.A. is the fifth largest borrower in the U.S.
Jeffery Zupan took the microphone and said with some amusement, “The M.T.A. is in deep doo-doo right now and it’s only going to get worse."
After the panel, Zupan told me he thought Bloomberg was brave to have raised the issue of congestion pricing. "People thought it was politically impossible,” Zupan commented.
He thinks the problem was in the timing.
“It was kept pretty secret, so it dropped, with PlaNYC, like a bombshell, because they didn’t share thinking."
I caught Kellner on his way out and asked him about Bloomberg's legacy.
“The two things he’s going to be known for as mayor are going to be more tickets and garbage trucks,” Kellner said. Later, he added that he would also be remembered for "things falling out of the sky.”
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 50.0
- 42.2
- Obama +7.8
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 55.9
- 36.7
- +19.2
- McCain
- 49.6
- 41.7
- +7.9
I just saw a story on NY1's In Transit show that stated New York's Mass Transit system saves 8 billion gallons of oil a year and 14 million metric tons of carbon emissions. If so, why isn't the MTA on the receiving end of a Carbon Offset plan? Companies and people pay for offsets in order to plant trees, build wind turbine fields - why not pay to help build a new subway? How many carbon offsets would a new subway car be worth? This might be a way to make up for the much maligned and misunderstood congestion pricing plan.
I proposed this to the mayor's office and received the following reply. Perhaps we can all apply pressure to Mr. Hicks (below) to reconsider using a little calculation to figure out what new projects save in carbon and how to offset them:
Dear Mr. Baker:
Thank you for contacting Mayor Bloomberg with your thoughtful suggestion of funding transportation improvements with carbon offset revenue.
You bring up a possible alternative to the currently unreliable offset system. Because offset providers are often planting trees or building windmills out of the site of the polluter who purchases them, the full emissions reduction potential of these offsets are often not realized. Perhaps it would be preferable to instead use carbon offsets for more local and verifiable subsidy projects.
The problem with using a carbon offset program to fund transit improvements, however, is that it would be difficult to verify additional emissions reductions. Generally, offsets are purchased to subsidize projects, such as planting trees or establishing windmills, which would not exist without their funding. Because the New York City public transit system is already a functioning system funded by taxpayer dollars, it would be impossible to verify that donating to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or any public agency for that matter, was actually providing additional benefit.
Sincerely,
James B. Hicks
Policy Analyst
Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability
The City of New York
253 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Tel: (212) 788-1457
Fax: (212) 788-1666
E-mail: jhicks@cityhall.nyc.gov
We provide luxury transportation in the tri state area.
http://www.sllimoandbuses.com
Thanks
In addition, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is required to submit a five-year capital spending program to the Legislature wow power leveling,service as ... Such as the Burning Crusade comes,wow power leveling, we provide a cheap wow power leveling, Spending points on the Elemental tree helps wow power leveling,to improves offensive spells and totems; WoW Gold,the Enhancement tree improves melee skills,and Restoration helps with healing.If your priority is towow power levelingyour,Shaman as quick as possiblewow gold, spend points on talents that will increase your damage. World Of Warcraft gold,Whether you prefer to kill enemies with ranged spells,World Of Warcraft gold, or up close with brutal melee World Of Warcraft gold, is entirely up to you World Of Warcraft gold, You will soon have to complete your Shaman class quests,WoW Gold, the first being the “Call of the Earth”.WoW Gold, Orcs and Trolls will be able to get WoW Gold, this quest from Canaga Earthcaller World of warcraft Power Leveling,World of warcraft Power Leveling,wow power level,wow power leveling,wow power level,ffxi gil,ffxi gil,ffxi gil,ffxi gil,final fantasy xi gil,final fantasy xi gil,final fantasy xi gil,final fantasy xi gil,guildwars gold,guildwars gold,guild wars gold,guild wars gold,lotro gold,lotro gold,lotr gold,lotr gold,maplestory mesos,maplestory mesos,maplestory mesos,maple story mesos,maplestory mesos,runescape gold,runescape money,aoc gold,age of conan gold,aoc gold, age of conan gold,aoc gold,FFXI Gil,final fantasy gil,everquest plat,eq2 plat,eq2 gold,everquest platinum,rs gold,silkroad gold,Chinese Tea,Green Tea,China Tea,Black tea,Oolong Tea,White tea,Herbal Tea,Jasmine tea,Chinese Tea,Green Tea,Childrens Clothes,Childrens clothing,Baby Clothing,Pet products,dog bed,pet supply,pet product,Dog Collar,Dog carrier,Dog Clothes,Baby Clothes,newborn clothes,infant clothes,boys clothes,boys clothing,girls clothing,girls clothes,baby boy clothes,baby boy clothing,baby girl clothes,baby girl clothing,dog clothes,dog collars,buy warhammer gold,buy warhammer gold,buy warhammer gold,warhammer gold,warhammer gold,warhammer gold,礼品公司,商务礼品,礼品采购,礼品,