NYC studying the possibilty of Congestion Toll (following London's Example)

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=traffic&id=4820871

http://a.abclocal.go.com/images/wabc/cms_exf_2005/news/NYCgridlockHOR_120406.jpg


Tolls to cut down on NYC's gridlock?

Study says NYC loses billions of dollars anually to gridlock

(New York - WABC, , 2006) - There is another vote of support out there for charging people money to drive below 60th Street in Manhattan. A new study being released today shows New York City is losing billions of dollars every year because of major gridlock.

Eyewitness News reporter Lisa Colagrossi has the story.
This is an idea that has been floating around for some time but never took off. A private business group has enlisted environmental and neighborhood groups to try to push the idea of congestion pricing.

The business group is supporting a plan to charge drivers a substantial fee each time they drive anywhere below 60th Street. That adds up to almost 800,000 cars and trucks every day.

This will be the latest big money push for a big change in the way New Yorkers drive. The cornerstone of this plan is congestion pricing. The idea is to charge drivers who insist on bringing vehicles into the busiest parts of the city.

London has been using congestion pricing for years now, to squeeze drivers out of the city center. Sensors and cameras enforce the system in which each driver pays about $14 dollars a day just to enter key parts of the city during peak hours.

London city officials say the area's traffic has been cut by about 30 percent in those peak hours.

In New York though, city council members point to those parts of Queens and Brooklyn, with little or no subway service. Commuters there drive to Manhattan. They say congestion pricing for them would be a punishing blow.

Wow, there are two ways political partisans can spin that news. Republicans: "Stupid Democratic tree huggers trying to prevent our rights from driving our cars!" Democrats: "Stupid neo-cons and their schemes of trying to make more buck off the impoverished people." :lol:

I'm not familiar with the situation but from an outside perspective.....what does NYC do with the millions that they get through taxes each year for road and bridge? aside from maintenance, repaving etc. is there no money left?......can nothing be done for congestion besides limiting cars.....not that that's a bad thing but it just seems odd.

I'm not familiar with the situation but from an outside perspective.....what does NYC do with the millions that they get through taxes each year for road and bridge? aside from maintenance, repaving etc. is there no money left?......can nothing be done for congestion besides limiting cars.....not that that's a bad thing but it just seems odd.

maybe it is to help pay for the 25% Pay Raise that the City Council Voted to give themselves...

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content...64336 (http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=3&aid=64336)


In a 41 to 5 margin, Council members approved a 25 percent pay hike. Their base salaries will go up from $90,000 a year to over $112,000, for what is technically a part-time job.

that's kind of what I was thinking was going on but didn't want to speak out of turn.......oh well that's government......Rep or Dem doesn't matter.....greed and corruption are bipartisan

that's kind of what I was thinking was going on but didn't want to speak out of turn.......oh well that's government......Rep or Dem doesn't matter.....greed and corruption are bipartisan

i drive in everyday since company pays for parking since i work odd hours, this would really suck...since sometimes i even take the Battery Tunnel ($4) to get around traffic...

i dont even want to think how they would add Collection Toll Booths for the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Williamsburgh Bridges...

too bad i luv this city to much to leave :lol:

I'll be there in April for the first time.......oddly I've been to as many countries as I have states but never to NY....even though my family is from Pitt. I'm looking forward to the NYIAS.

NY government never saw a tax it did not love.

Yeah get those freakin' cars off the roads and open the streets for the vespa's and the motorcyclists. baahahahaha

it wont get passed and if it does there will be too much opposition to it.

Glad I left that place... more reason not to go back.

Sorry you're still over there Alex :p :)

Haha sweet...I live on 63rd! I made the cut.

PS It'll never pass…eh I shouldn’t say never...at least not for a while. It would just be too inconvenient.

I also don't get the whole "lack of subway" argument because if you're not close to a subway there are about 2 billion buses that run in every direction to get you to one and you get a free transfer to the subway. The subway/bus system, although slower than driving/taxi, is extremely convenient and there is really no need to drive in the city unless you have no other way to get in or you are transporting things. I used to commute from Long Island and you just hop on the LIRR and take a Subway to wherever you want to go.

The only people that need to drive into the city are people where there is no train service and the odds of that are slim. Long Island - LIRR, NJ - NJ Transit RR, CT/Westchester - Metro North RR, and if you're coming from farther your life sucks.

Some of the above arguments for why they would pass such a tax completely lack any sort of validity and reasoning. No offense to anyone, but as a lawyer I have to laugh at some of the ignorant junk that comes out of people’s mouths. Yeah yeah call me a blood sucker.

Speaking of NYC taxes…they cut the tax on clothing purchases!

The tolls for bridges and tunnels into Manhattan go to the Port Authority and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, which are state (or multi-state) agencies (with appointed boards), and do not go to the NYC General Fund. (Thank you, Robert Moses...)

So it seems unlikely that that's what's paying for City Councilmember's salaries.

Hipp Hipp Hurrah for congestion pricing!