New York City’s Congestion Pricing Plan Killed in Albany
Photo by Christopher Chan.
Yesterday, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced that Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing bill would not move through Albany, a huge blow to New York City’s livable streets movement and Bloomberg’s ambitious PLANYC, which had congestion pricing as its centerpiece. The congestion pricing plan, which had the support of New York City’s City Council, called for charging drivers $8 for entering Manhattan below 60th street. Using the funds generated by charging drivers, New York City planned to inject an infusion of cash into the mass transit system which is strapped for cash and experiencing increasing ridership. With congestion pricing killed, it’s unclear where the funding for the city’s mass transit infrastructure will come from.
See our friends at Streetsblog for more coverage.
It is a sad day for sustainable transport. New York delays its introduction to a new class of cities that charge inefficient modes to promote alternatives that work better for the people, the environment and the regional economy. We still count on London, Singapore and Stockholm for reference… who is next? Mumbai?