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NEW YORK, NY April 28, 2007 —Mayor Bloomberg is seeking federal dollars to expand the city's transportation options. WNYC's Beth Fertig says that includes his controversial plan to charge drivers to enter Midtown.

FERTIG: The U.S. Department of Transportation is making $1.2 billion available for cities to reduce congestion. In a letter to the department, Bloomberg says New York could use some of that money for setting up a congestion pricing system.

But the mayor says first he would first use the funds for more ferries and express buses. The city could also explore technology to synchronize traffic signals with bus routes.

None of those plans requires state approval, but congestion pricing does. Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff says the city will submit legislation to Albany soon.

Political observers say getting it passed before the end of the session in June will be an uphill fight. The Bloomberg administration has begun courting lawmakers, arguing that most people don't drive to Manhattan and would benefit from improvements in mass transit.

For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.