New York City Congestion Charge Dead On Arrival
April 09, 2008

By Bill Visnic

Another difference between Americans and the British: we won’t go for that congestion-charge crap.

At least for now.

The New York state legislature this week refused to vote on a proposal to institute a “congestion charge” for vehicles entering Manhattan, a plan similar to one adopted in London and other European cities to address pollution and overcrowding concerns.

The plan, proposed by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006, called for standard vehicles driving south of 60th street in Manhattan between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to pay an $8 daily fee; commercial trucks would have ponied up a stiff $21. Part of mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 sustainability outline for the city, the congestion charge required approval of the state legislature.

Critics said the congestion fee would disproportionately tax commuters and simply shift traffic to other areas outside the congestion-charge zone. According to reports, the state’s refusal to adopt the fee will cost the city some $354 million in promised federal funding for a variety of initiatives to improve the efficiency of the city’s transportation systems.

In a clear signal the state would not sublimate its interests to those of New York City’s, opposition to the congestion charge was said to be so vociferous that the matter was not presented for an open vote in the state assembly.

“Today is a sad day for New Yorkers and a sad day for New York City,” the AFP quoted the mayor as saying in a statement.

“Not only won't we see the realization of a plan that would have cut traffic, spurred our economy, reduced pollution and improved public health, we will also lose out on nearly 500 million dollars annually for mass transit improvements and 354 million dollars in immediate federal funds,” Bloomberg continued.

“It takes true leadership and courage to embrace new concepts and ideas and to be willing to try something. Unfortunately, both are lacking in the (New York state) assembly today,” Bloomberg railed.

Mayor Bloomberg already had succeeded in another environmentally driven PlaNYC effort, approved in 2007, that requires all yellow taxicabs in New York City to be hybrid-electric by 2012. The effort reputedly will produce the largest hybrid-electric fleet in the world and the mayor’s office said it will save individual operators $10,000 annually in fuel costs.

Photo
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg after the announcement the city’s yellow-cab fleet will go fully hybrid by 2012.

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