NYC Congestion Pricing

Recently, the plan for congestion pricing in New York City, specifically within the Borough of Manhattan, was approved by the New York City Council. Congestion pricing would charge most drivers $8 for the privilege to drive south of 60th St. between 6am and 6pm during the weekdays. Trucks, taxis and other vehicles may pay different rates, and there are a number of exemptions as well. The congesting pricing plan is meant to encourage the use of mass transit.

But of course, as things tend to happen in New York State, this plan must be approved by the New York State Legislature in order for the City to get $354 million in federal grants that would used in order to finance congestion pricing. However, with several state legislators based in downstate New York in opposition to the plan, getting congestion pricing through may be easier said than done.

The state legislature has a deadline of midnight on Monday, April 7, 2008 to approve the congestion pricing plan. Governor David Paterson, who is said to approve of congestion pricing, has called for the legislature to work on the state budget (which has since passed the annual due date of April 1st) for the weekend, which may hurt the chances of the plan being passed. If the plan is approved, New York City would be the first city in the United States to have congestion pricing.

I support congestion pricing in New York City, as well as other cities, but I believe the plan is not ambitious enough. The original plan called for congestion pricing south of 96th St. in Manhattan, which would have worked out well. Also, if congestion pricing does take effect in New York City, and is proven to be successful, watch for congestion pricing to be implemented in other cities, such as Boston and Washington.

http://tinyurl.com/6kh2wj - Albany Times Union article (4/5/08, via the AP)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_congestion_pricing - Wikipedia

Comments

Anonymous said…

Congestion pricing is absolutely wrong and immoral, especially in NY City, where Manhattan connects LI to the mainland of the USA. The Bronx ans Staten Island already have enough traffic carrying vehicles in/out of LI. Eithe way, it is wrong.

11:22 PM

California State Route 190; a Trans-Sierra Highway that could have been

This past week I decided to take a small scale road trip on California State Route 190 from CA 99 east to the unbuilt section over the Sierra Nevada Range. While I was in for what turned out to be a fun drive following the course of the Tule River watershed what I found researching the back story of CA 190 was one of the most complex and unusual stories of any California State Highway. Given that I had a ton of older photos of the eastern segment of CA 190 in the Mojave Desert of Inyo County I thought it was time to put something together for the entire route. The simplified story of CA 190 is that it is a 231 mile state highway that has a 43 mile unbuilt gap in the Sierra Nevada Range. CA 190 is an east/west State Highway running from CA 99 in Tulare County at Tipton east to CA 127 located in Death Valley Junction near the Nevada State Line in rural Inyo County. The routing CA 190 was adopted into the State Highway system as Legislative Route 127 which was adopted in 1933 acc

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates, Year in Review 2022

Another year over, already? 2022 turned out to be quite the year if you are a fan of new interstate routes, and it wasn't bad for some long standing favorites. As per the tradition, I will review what happened with I-73 and I-74, and then the other new and future interstate routes in North Carolina... Work continued on the one segment of I-73 under construction, the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass. As of the beginning of December, work was getting close to being 2/3 complete at 60.1%. Progress could be seen from US 74 on constructing of the future interchange at the Bypass's southern end. Here's a look from US 74 East in September from Google Maps Street View: Here's a photo from US 74 West taken last week by David Gallo: Work is now scheduled to be completed in October 2025, though the road itself could open earlier that year. Progress on I-74 earned more publicity in 2022 with the opening of 7.5 more miles of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway from US 311 (Exit 49) to NC

Interstate 605

Interstate 605 is a 27.4-mile freeway located in the Los Angeles Metropolitain Area. Interstate 605 begins at Interstate 210 near Duarte and terminates at the Interstate 405/California State Route 22 junction to the south near the boundary to the city of Long Beach. Interstate 605 is known as the San Gabriel River Freeway and has three unconstructed miles which would extend it south to California State Route 1 near Seal Beach. Much of the corridor of Interstate 605 was built up from what was the original California State Route 35. The blog cover photo is taken from the July/August 1964 California Highways & Public Works which featured the initial segment of Interstate 605 to open between Whittier Boulevard and Peck Road Part 1; the history of the San Gabriel River Freeway and Interstate 605 The origin of what is now Interstate 605 begins during 1933 with the addition of Legislative Route Number 170 (LRN 170) to the State Highway System. The original definition of LRN 170 was

Gribblenation

Search This Blog