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Assembly Sinks NYC Congestion Pricing Measure

Tolls for high-traffic areas had been mayor's pet project

By Will McCahill,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 7, 2008 5:23 PM CDT
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(Newser) – New York state legislators today killed a plan that would have brought congestion pricing—higher fees at peak traffic hours—to parts of Manhattan, a major defeat for Mike Bloomberg, the Times reports. The mayor and a coalition of environmental groups backed the idea, but legislators from the city's outer boroughs and elsewhere opposed the fees, which would have been as high as $8, as regressive.

A Bloomberg rep derided the vote, taken in secret in Albany by members of the state legislature's Democratic majority, as “one of the biggest cop-outs in New York’s history." Approval of congestion pricing—already in effect in London, among other cities—could have made New York eligible for $354 million in federal funds for mass transit and other improvements.

Democrats in New York's state assembly today killed a plan that would have raised fees for cars entering parts of Manhattan during high-traffic times.
Democrats in New York's state assembly today killed a plan that would have raised fees for cars entering parts of Manhattan during high-traffic times.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
Democrats in New York's state assembly today killed a plan that would have raised fees for cars entering parts of Manhattan during high-traffic times.
Democrats in New York's state assembly today killed a plan that would have raised fees for cars entering parts of Manhattan during high-traffic times.   (AP Photo/Ed Betz)
Cars move along the Queensboro Bridge in New York, Tuesday, July 17, 2007. Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Assembly Democrats continued trying to make a last-ditch deal on a congestion pricing plan for New York City on Tuesday even after Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his traffic toll plan was dealt a...
Cars move along the Queensboro Bridge in New York, Tuesday, July 17, 2007. Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Assembly Democrats continued trying to make a last-ditch deal on a congestion pricing plan for New York...   (AP Photo/Ed Betz)
Democrats in the New York state assembly today killed a plan for congestion pricing in New York City.
Democrats in the New York state assembly today killed a plan for congestion pricing in New York City.   (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)
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What congestion-pricing debate means to Bloomberg's would-be successors
Streetsblog

Neighboring mayor feared plan would boost bridge traffic
Associated Press

London's hefty fees have fans, detractors
Los Angeles Times

Scandanavian cities, Singapore among successes
Environmental Defense Fund

Politics • US

 
New York City • Manhattan • congestion pricing • traffic • Michael Bloomberg • public transportation • regressive tax • Sheldon Silver

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