Congestion Pricing | The New York Observer

A Candid Ravitch Warns of $25 B. Budget Gap, Hints at Tax Overhaul

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:34:14 -0400

Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch does not have a rosy view of the state's finances.

Speaking Wednesday morning at N.Y.U., Mr. Ravitch, the state's point man on the ongoing fiscal crisis, warned of tremendous new budget gaps in coming years, saying the state faces a deficit of about $25 billion over the next two-and-a-half years, about $15 billion more than previously estimated by the state.

"The State of New York, has in the remainder of...

Understanding the Climate Policy Debate

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:49:44 -0400

It is amazing to me how the media can both create and resolve its own conflicts. On April 10 John Broder wrote a piece for The New York Times, "Obama, Who Vowed Rapid Action on Climate Change, Turns More Cautious." In the story Broder asks, “Has the administration scaled back its global-warming goals, at least for this year, or is it engaged in sophisticated misdirection?” The answer: “Maybe some of both.”

Broder...

Bloomberg Waits for Assembly Majority on Commuter Tax

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:44:46 -0400

After Sheldon Silver dropped the news that he's open to reinstituting the commuter tax, Michael Bloomberg told reporters in City Hall that he himself is also in favor of bringing it back. Bloomberg stopped short of demanding Republican state lawmakers take action.

“I’ve always thought it was a very bad mistake to give up the commuter tax back when it was done,” the mayor said. “I’ve been screaming about the commuter tax for all the...

Toward a Profession of Sustainability Managers: Wayne Balta and Sustainability at IBM

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:50:38 -0400

If we are to make this planet more sustainable, all of us--individuals, families, schools, nonprofits, and especially corporations--will need to change our behavior. This does not mean that we must live grim lives where we stay at home freezing in the dark. It does mean that we need to pay attention to the resources we consume and we need to switch as quickly as we can to renewable resources. This is going...

Paying for Mass Transit without Raising Fares

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:50:47 -0400

One of the central elements of Mayor Bloomberg's plan for a sustainable New York City is to improve mass transit and get people out of their cars and into busses and subways. In addition to better and more frequent transit service, the city also needs to ensure that the price of mass transit is kept under control. In the aftermath of the defeat of congestion pricing, we see that mass transit in this region...

Governor David Paterson’s First 100 Days: A Green Governor?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:31:11 -0400

On March 17, 2008, Lieutenant Governor and former State Senator David Paterson was suddenly placed in the center of Albany's storm and assumed the Office of Governor. While it may seem premature, we decided to review the environmental record of his first 100 days. New York State's League of Conservation Voters is known for their thoughtful representation of the electorate's interest, so we asked them for their view of our accidental governor's environmental record....

M.T.A. Has Gone To [Doo-Doo]

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:21:18 -0400

A panel of transportation advocates held on the Upper West Side on Thursday night reached a predictable consensus:

“The M.T.A. is in deep doo-doo right now and it’s only going to get worse," according to the Regional Plan Association's Jeffrey Zupan.

More on the panel from Em Whitney at The Politicker....

Bloomberg Defends Support of State Senate G.O.P.

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:43:56 -0400

Earlier today, Michael Bloomberg defended the pledge he reportedly made to help Dean Skelos keep the narrow majority Republicans hold in the State Senate.

“Because I have said repeatedly I will help those who help this city,” Bloomberg said when he was asked why he made the promise during a Q&A with reporters in Lower Manhattan after unveiling the Waterfalls. “The Republicans in the State Senate were willing to vote for congestion pricing,...

Silver on Congestion Pricing: It Was a Class Thing

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:50:52 -0400

From Geoffrey Gray's New York magazine profile of State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver:

He recalls a conversation he had with Robert Rubin—the former Treasury secretary, current Citigroup director, and friend of the billionaire mayor’s. Rubin, like us, was also stuck in traffic and decided to give Silver a call to talk up the proposal. Silver says, “Let me ask you something, Bob. Are you in one of those limo-type cars?” He was. “You know under...

Parsing Connor and Squadron's Support for Congestion Pricing

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:26:02 -0400

Streetsblog quoted State Senator Marty Connor talking about congestion pricing during a debate this weekend with his challenger, former Chuck Schumer aide Dan Squadron.

The quote went: “Congestion pricing—I supported it. I didn't tell anybody; I didn't take a position on it. I supported it.”

Which would mean that Connor was saying that he secretly harbored support for congestion pricing, but didn't go public with it.

I interpreted the same line of Connor's (from the video above)...

DOT Pitches Faster Buses, Fewer Traffic Deaths

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:08:45 -0400

The 6,300 miles of streets and the transportation infrastructure spread across New York City's 321 square miles “is coming up against limits,” the commissioner of the New York Department of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan, said in the agency’s “Sustainable Streets” plan announced today.

Since Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan never got off the ground, the DOT laid out a new blueprint to ease travel within the city by making streets...

A Year in the Life of 'PlaNYC 2030': Performance, Promise and Limits

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:50:33 -0400

A little more than a year ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched his pathbreaking "PlaNYC 2030" urban sustainability plan. According to the city’s own progress report on the plan’s first year:

The implementation of PlaNYC's 127 initiatives requires the effort of more than 20 City agencies; the help of our Sustainability Advisory Board; partners and supporters from all across New York City; and close cooperation with the City Council and other elected officials. In the first...

Congestion Pricing, Paul Newell, and the Facebook Page of Kevin Sheekey

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:53:31 -0400

Here is something I just noticed.

Minutes after Kevin Sheekey went on NY1 and blasted Sheldon Silver for not having the "courage" to vote on the mayor’s congestion pricing plan, Sheekey officially made a new Facebook friend: Paul Newell, one of two Democrats seeking to oust Sheldon Silver in the September primary.

The chain of events goes like this. Congestion pricing died on April 7, at 3:02 p.m; Sheekey began publicly...

Earth Day Greetings From NYLCV

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:59:55 -0400

Yesterday, Dan Hendrick of the New York League of Conservation Voters stopped by City Hall, just in time to chat about Earth Day!

The group just published a report about environmental initiatives (besides congestion pricing) that legislators and the public can pursue.

As for how to celebrate Earth Day, Hendrick suggests riding your bike, enjoying a veggie burger and, if so inclined, throwing back a...

Congestion Pricing Critic Praises Bloomberg

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:49:05 -0400

Today is Earth Day! It’s also the one-year anniversary of Michael Bloomberg's formal announcement of a plan for congestion pricing.

To honor the occasion, a congestion pricing critic, Assemblyman Mark Weprin, is distributing a letter that commends Bloomberg for putting the issue on the table:
"So while I opposed the congestion pricing plan, I applaud the Mayor for appropriately placing traffic congestion and its environmental impacts at the forefront of public discourse. Indeed,...

Bloomberg Vindicated? Port Authority Reports Quick Ridership Drop After Toll Hikes

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:27:08 -0400

A little over a month after the Port Authority hiked tolls on its six bridges and tunnels, there has been a 2.9 percent drop in the number of vehicles commuting amid Manhattan, New Jersey and Staten Island-- more than the 2 percent dip the agency expected and more than the 2.3 percent dip that followed the previous toll increase in 2001, according to The Times' CityRoom blog.

More than 350,000 cars and...

Bloomberg Says Congestion Pricing Would Have Passed Assembly

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:14:37 -0400

After he delivered a speech this morning in Washington, a reporter asked Michael Bloomberg if he agreed with top political aide Kevin Sheekey that Sheldon Silver lacked "courage" on congestion pricing.

‘Well, I didn’t hear what Kevin said last night,” Bloomberg said, according to audio provided by his office. “I suggest you talk to Kevin.”

He then added, “I do not think that any one person should decide what is right,” leaving little...

The Dysfunctional Death of Congestion Pricing

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:48:35 -0400

"Shelly just came out of our conference and said our conference does not have the support to bring this to the floor,” Democratic Assemblyman Mark Weprin yesterday told reporters after a meeting with Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly democrats about Mayor Bloomberg's congestion-pricing bill. “I want to be clear that the conference was overwhelmingly against it,” he further said.

To say that congestion pricing died because the Assembly members were against it is of course...

Bing Defends Albany-Style Democracy

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:15:19 -0400

Michael Bloomberg and his aides have presented the demise of their congestion pricing plan, which occurred without a floor vote in the Assembly, as an example of Albany’s well-noted dysfunction.

Not surprisingly, the view from within the Democratic-held Assembly is different.

“The idea that democracy did not occur here [because] it was not a floor vote really is incorrect,” Democratic Assemblyman Jonathan Bing told me last night. “Democracy occurred with every member...

Quinn: There Was No Guarantee Albany Would Vote on Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:03:51 -0400

“I don’t see how anyone can use support of congestion pricing against somebody politically,” Christine Quinn just told reporters at a brief availability inside City Hall, where she reacted to the Assembly’s decision not to vote on the plan the City Council urged them to adopt.

Reassuring Council members who voted for the legislation, she said voting "yes" to congestion pricing means "you said, ‘Yes, I want $354 million from the federal government,'...

Silver Aide Defends No-Vote on Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:51:21 -0400

I just got off the phone with Sheldon Silver spokesman Dan Weiller, who tried to explain his boss's decision not to bring congestion pricing legislation to a vote in the Assembly today.

“There was not enough support for this legislation in the Assembly majority -- not nearly enough support to bring this to the floor,” Weiller said.

Unlike Michael Bloomberg, Weiller doesn't think there needed to be a vote to find out...

Activists Break from Huddle After Congestion Pricing Defeat

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:49:45 -0400

Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan has flat-lined, but transportation advocacy groups said that dealing with congestion and traffic remains imperative at the city level.

The Straphangers Campaign said they are “sorely disappointed” the plan to charge drivers below 60th Street an $8 fee during peak traffic hours will not be adopted, but said they are “looking forward to working with state and local officials to secure the dollars needed...

Quinn 'Disappointed' About Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:32:31 -0400

Here is Christine Quinn’s statement on the death of congestion pricing, which says she is “disappointed that we missed an opportunity” and describes today as a “setback.”

Neither Quinn's statement nor the statement from Michael Bloomberg aide John Gallagher mention Sheldon Silver by name.

Here’s the full statement:

“I am disappointed that we missed an opportunity to make a significant
investment in our mass transportation system, an investment that would
have secured...

City Hall on Assembly 'Cop-Out,' and Other Reactions

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:17:43 -0400

Michael Bloomberg’s spokesman John Gallagher is releasing, upon request, a statement blasting the legislative process that killed his boss’ plans for congestion pricing.

“What we are witnessing today is one of the biggest cop-outs in New York’s history. After insisting on the formation of a commission to make recommendations for a bill, and then for the City Council to vote to endorse that bill, the Assembly needs to stand up and be counted. ...

Silver's Opponent on the Death of Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:27:05 -0400

Thanks in large part to Sheldon Silver, congestion pricing is dead. Now, Silver's Democratic primary opponent, Paul Newell, wants to make sure the Assembly speaker gets credit.

“This is a perfect example of how the broken system in Albany fails New Yorkers, and lower Manhattanites [are] included in that category,” Newell said.

“What is the point of being represented by the speaker of the State Assembly if he can’t even go...

Silver, Allies Kill Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:20:29 -0400

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and allies have effectively doomed Mayor Bloomberg's congestion-pricing plan for Manhattan. More from The Politicker....

Sheldon Silver and the Assembly Kill Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:05:39 -0400

Congestion pricing is dead in the Assembly.

“Shelly just came out of our conference and said our conference does not have the support to bring this to the floor,” said Democratic Assemblyman Mark Weprin.

“I want to be clear that the conference was overwhelmingly against it,” he said, dispelling the notion that Silver, personally, blocked the plan. Weprin, who opposed the plan, said the program’s biggest supporter, Michael Bloomberg, should not be...

Sheekey's Still Hopeful, Combative About Congestion Pricing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:56:02 -0400

Midnight tonight is the deadline for state lawmakers to approve the mayor’s congestion pricing program in order to qualify for $354 million in federal transportation funds. It’s still not clear that there are enough votes to get it passed in either house of the legislature.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Joe Bruno supports it, but may not have enough votes on his side of the aisle to get it through. Assembly Speaker...

Weprin Explains the Council's Congestion-Pricing Shift, Ruefully

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:28:06 -0400

At an anti-congestion pricing rally at City Hall yesterday, Councilman David Weprin claimed that the program isn’t supported by a majority of city lawmakers, even though it passed the Council recently by a vote of 30 to 20.

“You had the mayor and the speaker actively lobbying and offering incentives to individuals to change their vote, which clearly happened,” he said. He added, “There is no secret that people who said they were...

Silver Said He's Likely to Support Congestion Pricing

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:52:38 -0400

From Downtown Express:Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told Downtown Express Wednesday he is likely to support congestion pricing, but the Albany power broker also said passage is still in doubt.

Silver said he is hoping to make changes to the mayor’s plan to charge drivers $8 to enter Manhattan south of 60th St. weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Even in the current version, though, Silver said “Personally, I probably would [vote for it],...

Suggesting Changes to Bill, Citizens Union Pushes for Congestion Pricing to Pass

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:27:42 -0400

Citizens Union, a group that promotes government openness and transparency, is urging state lawmakers to pass congestion pricing.

But they also have some changes they’d like to see in the final bill.

Like Bill Thompson, the group wants to eliminate the discount that drivers who pay a toll prior to entering the congestion pricing zone. (Both Citizens Union and Thompson support offsetting that discount by having the Port Authority contribute $1 billion to...

Thompson Urges Passage of Congestion Pricing (and Suggests Some Changes)

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:43:46 -0400

City comptroller Bill Thompson, who is also a possible mayoral candidate, just released a letter to Governor David Paterson that urges state lawmakers to pass congestion pricing by the April 7 deadline.

There are, however, a few amendments he would like to see.

Thompson wants to eliminate the discount that drivers would receive if they pay the tolls prior to entering the congestion pricing district. As the letter puts it, that change “ensures that all drivers...

Congestion Pricing? Not Without Sheldon Silver

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:39:16 -0400

Once again, Michael Bloomberg has defied public opinion polls and noisy skeptics, lined up bipartisan support from the Democratic governor and the Republican State Senate and won over city lawmakers in support of an idea that would have a profound impact in New York City.

And once again, his big plan—this time, to impose a toll on cars driving into midtown Manhattan—faces a immovable obstacle in Sheldon Silver, who often seems to...

Congestion Pricing Opponents Re-Group, Release Letters

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:53:05 -0400

A day after the City Council voted in favor of congestion pricing, and before the state legislature has a chance to, critics of the plan are making the argument that it is a financial burden on community services and charities.

Today, State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. of the Bronx released a letter he sent to his colleagues urging them to oppose. In the letter Diaz wrote, “buses from organizations transporting senior citizens...

Congestion Pricing and the Manhattan Renter

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:03:30 -0400

Mayor Bloomberg's dream of charging commuters to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan took a giant leap forward yesterday as the City Council voted in his proposal's favor. Manhattan renters, especially those on the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side, should take notice.

The old boundary for the congestion pricing proposal was 86th Street, smackdab in the middle of both neighborhoods. In June, The Observer wondered aloud:

[T]he $8 daily fee that...

City Council OKs Congestion Pricing, Battle Moves Upstate

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:42:47 -0400

The City Council on Monday passed a measure 30-20 supporting Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing proposal. (More coverage here from brother blog The Politicker.) The proposal now moves to the State Legislature, which has until April 7 to act. ...

New York City Council Votes for Congestion Pricing

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:35:48 -0400

A congestion pricing measure before the Council just passed, 30 to 20.

Domenic Recchia, who is planning to run for Congress, took a pass on voting the first time around, but eventually voted yes. Eric Gioia, who had told the New York Times on March 8 that he was voting no, also voted for it. Comptroller candidate Melinda Katz voted no, but her likely rival David Yassky voted yes. The two candidates for Brooklyn...

Congestion Pricing Passes Committee

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:05:45 -0400

Congestion pricing just passed the City Council Committee on State and Federal Legislation, 6-4. Members who voted in favor included Maria Baez, Melissa Viverito, Larry Seabrook, Joel Rivera, Mike McMahon and Hiram Monserrate. Those opposed included Lew Fidler, Joe Addabbo and Erik Dilan.

It goes to the full council...

Former Conservation Chair Richard Brodsky Versus the League of Conservation Voters

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:33:30 -0400

Richard Brodsky, the longtime former chair of the Assembly's environmental conservation commission and a leading critic of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, is declining to seek the support of the New York League of Conservation voters, in the latest chapter in a long-simmering feud dating back to the group’s defense of Governor George Pataki. Brodsky has recently found himself on the opposite side of much of the state's environmental lobby over congestion pricing....

Congestion Pricing Vote Today at 3:30 p.m.

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:55:59 -0400

Christine Quinn’s press office just announced the Council will vote at 3:30 p.m. on congestion pricing. Which is interesting because the first pitch of the Yankee’s opening game at home - where Quinn, the mayor and a few elected officials are expected to attend - is at 1:05 p.m.

Beat the traffic!

Here is the announcement from Quinn’s office.

CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-7116

Last Week to Pass Congestion Pricing

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:56:57 -0400

The "final" federal deadline of April 7 is approaching for the federal subsidy of $354 million to set up a congestion-pricing system for Manhattan’s Central Business District.

In these tough budget times the plan would produce an estimated $4.5 billion over the next five years for improved mass transit. It is the only source of funds available to reduce the M.T.A.’s dependence on fares and debt to improve transit. Even if the amount of funding...

Muzzio on Congestion Pricing, Not Angering Christine Quinn

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:42:49 -0400

Doug Muzzio is putting his money on Christine Quinn and the congestion pricing supporters in the Council. According to Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College, it is less about the substantive pitch Quinn is making, and more about the strategic decision members make to avoid becoming one of her enemies.

Muzzio told me, “Those people who are wishy-washy, I would bet most of them go to the pro-side, Chris’ side....

Quinn Optimistic About Congestion Pricing

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:24:30 -0400

Christine Quinn just told reporters at City Hall she’s confident she’ll have the votes to pass congestion pricing in the City Council.

When asked if she and Michael Bloomberg were “twisting arms,” Quinn said, “Certainly not. My staff and I are having conversations with council members.”

She added, “It hasn’t been arm-twisting, but it has been very important conversations about how we get more mass transit out there in 51 districts in the...

On Congestion Pricing, Fidler Echoes Ferrer's 'Two New Yorks'

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:00:49 -0400

Lew Fidler, a vocal critic of congestion pricing, spoke Wednesday night at the Stonewall Democratic Club in Manhattan, putting his objections to the plan in context with language borrowed from 2005 mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer, who used to say during the campaign that New York was becoming two cities.

Fidler told Stonewall, “There is no doubt in my mind that the congestion pricing proposal, once you get past all the laudable goals that...

Obama Likes Congestion Pricing

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:28:49 -0400

It's not clear what effect, if any, this would have on the actual outcome of the mayor's push to enact congestion pricing, but as it turns out, Barack Obama supports the mayor's plan to reduce traffic.

Bloomberg introduced Obama before the senator's speech at Cooper Union this morning, fueling rumors of a formal endorsement or even a joint ticket. (So far, there have been no real signs of either.)

A reader sent over this brief...

Pitching Congestion Pricing, Again and Again

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:50:19 -0400

If the Bloomberg administration fails to get city and state lawmakers to approve congestion pricing in time to qualify for more than $350 million in federal funding, it won't be for lack of official outreach.

This morning, members of the Bronx Assembly delegation met with Michael Bloomberg at City Hall to discuss the issue and right now, officials from the administration are testifying in front of the City Council about it. And here, courtesy of...

Another Congestion Pricing Poll: Support in City, Not So Much Upstate

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:48:28 -0400

The City Council is holding a hearing on the final report of the city-state traffic mitigation committee, as the deadline to enact Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan nears.

The proposal needs to get the green light from the City Council and the state Legislature by April 7 for Manhattan to receive $354 million in federal funding.

Last week, Governor Paterson endorsed the proposal, giving it a...

Bloomberg Pleased as Bruno Pushes 'Paterson's' Congestion Pricing Measure

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:40:37 -0400

It's another good day for congestion pricing, as Joe Bruno introduced a bill in the State Senate to correspond with David Paterson's announced support for the measure. Once again, the mayor has praise for the budding pro-congestion-charge (pro-Bloomberg?) axis in Albany:

"Senator Bruno and his conference are once again demonstrating their commitment to the people of this City and State by introducing Governor Paterson’s program bill today that will allow us to implement congestion pricing...

Green Day: March 24, 2008

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:03:54 -0400

More than 70 major corporations will meet with environmental scientists at The Wild Center in the Adirondacks in June to "produce a slate of possible policy and regulatory options to overcome market and other barriers that are inhibiting implementation of substantial low-cost greenhouse gas emission reductions." [usclimateaction.org]

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's approval of a floating, $700 million liquefied natural gas terminal raises the stakes for New York and Connecticut residents who see this project...

Will Paterson Endorsement Ease Congestion-Pricing Gridlock?

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:39:33 -0400

The politics of congestion pricing is nearing a boiling point and opponents continue to make the case for a different approach to traffic reduction.

There are, of course other ways of reducing congestion, but Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal has the advantage of generating new resources for mass transit.

On Friday, our new Governor, David Paterson, demonstrated political courage and came out in favor of the plan to charge drivers for entering New York’s Central Business district during...