The Brian Lehrer Show

why is Shelly Silver allowed to hold the city hostage?

maybe its time for him to go.

we need home rule for the city.

I live in the West Village and teach college in Purchase, in Westchester. Unfortunately, public transportation to Purchase takes me over 2.5 hours one way, so I've been forced to drive there, parking my car on the street in the West Village (my part-time job). I support congestion pricing for health, environmental, as well as quality of life reasons (traffic in the city is atrocious). I've not heard what congestion pricing will mean for those of us who have cars in the zone. I never drive my car around Manhattan; I merely use it to get to work or to run errands on the weekends. Will we have to pay to drive home? To take our cars out of the zone? How will street parking change?

Thank you,

Allison

Manhattan

Why do people think this will help the rich and hurt the poor? How many poor people drive into manhattan for work? And if rich people are going to drive to the city, do you really think they are going to park in queens, brooklyn, or upper manhattan and get on the subway to save a couple of bucks? No Way!

Come on! Put the agendas aside. THis is a win-win!

Why has no one brought up INCENTIVES to not drive to the city. Govt. always thinks in ways to penalize people to gain more of our money. I'm fine with penalizing drivers as long as govt rewards bikers who don't contribute to pollution. Maybe this will help get people on to more bikes and less cars. It is the best way to get around the city.

Two comments: 1) This plan clearly targets the poor, not the rich. If congestion is actually the problem in midtown, why not put a steep fee on intra-Manhattan use of private car services, which makes up a substantial part of the non-taxi, non-delivery vehicle traffic in Midtown? After all, does a lawyer from a Midtown white shoe firm need a car service to get to the downtown court houses? Oddly, the subway actually would be the quicker way to travel, but then again, who would any rich lawyer or investment banker want to descend into the hades of the hoi polloi? Better to have an idling, pollution-spewing limo awaiting your powerful finger snap.

2) Proponents of the plan act as if NYC automatically gets $500 million if the plan is adopted. As Fuchs (inadvertently?) just pointed out, NYC only gets to apply for the funds in a competitive contest with other cities. What if we adopted this program, yet not get this magical funding? There is a bait and switch going on here.

If the City really wants to put a price on "congestion" is should be focusing on the real cause of "congestion"---the delivery trucks which are double parked on all the streets in mid-Manhattan. Instead of putting the costs of congestion onto the businesses, which are the primary cause, the City is focusing on those least able to afford and those not the primary cause of the congestion. In London and (I believe) L.A. all truck deliveries (other than some exceptions) must be made during evening hours. This will increase costs to businesses, BUT imagine how much more smoothly traffic would move if the double parked trucks were removed from Manhattan streets.

Ms. Fuchs's high-handed manner with callers caught the essence of the Bloomberg monarchy. He knows what's best for everyone, and presents it in full-blown policy form. If you disagree with any point, you're unreasonable, obstructionist, and just plain wrong. He's going to get it all his way, anyway.

Re: air quality. I mentioned when I was on the air the website for air quality (ozone and particulars). The exact site gives hourly reports: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.fcsummary

I check it before going out.

Jack from the Bronx

I don't think this plan is going to solve NYC congestion problems, because most of the cars in Manhattan are either cabs or car service. They pollute more and drive all day, unlike commuters, who only get to and from the city.

It would be more fair and efficient to ban ALL cars from certain parts of Manhattan and achieve the same reduction rates. Second, I live in Manhattan, pay NYC taxes and will have to be penalized, because I live higher than 86th street. I'll have to use subway and buses to get to my work and that's absolute nightmare. NYC subway is an absolutely horrific method of transportation: dirty, unreliable, and unhealthy. How many studies have been done on the long term health problems associated with riding NYC subway?

Sure, it's nice to take it sometimes for a couple of stops. However, commuting an hour every day at peak hours is a nightmare.

This plan looks like an attempt to raise federal funds, and it will not solve congestion problems.

A belated comment on this topic. Theresa's note above makes the point strongly -- I personally feel that some congestion plan will go through eventually, just not necessarily this exact plan that Bloomberg and his former employees like Esther Fuchs are (were) trying to shove down our throats. How about more public comment sessions, negotiations back and forth? I'm fairly sure London's plan didn't pass immediately and had to be vetted thoroughly by all the stakeholders, that's what democracy's about, right?

I don't know which was more disingenuous: Bloomberg's bitter post-mortem comments about asthmatic children's having to 'breathe just a little longer' or your and Esther Fuchs' exhortations to 'bring Shelly to YES' delivered with the fervor of a diplomat at the UN Security Council denouncing genocide in Rwanda. A little more balance, a little less drum-beating please Brian? This issue is not the end of the world. We'll all get through it and something will get passed sooner or later, not just when this mayor's monarchy says it has to happen.