Group offers alternatives to congestion pricing

As the 17-member Traffic Mitigation Congestion Commission formed in August continues to study different alternatives to ease congestion in New York City, one group opposed to a congestion pricing plan recently released a set of alternatives aimed at reducing congestion.
The Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free group, which represents a coalition of civic, business and labor organizations throughout the city, proposed a list of recommendations they feel would reduce congestion without charging drivers to enter Manhattan.
Some of the recommendations include reforming the city’s system for issuing parking placards to city employees, increasing taxi stands in Manhattan, increasing fines for parking violations that contribute to congestion and implementing a 5-1-1 system that would serve as a hotline delivering traffic and weather conditions to drivers via cell phones or an electronic device.
“Real and better alternatives exist to reduce traffic congestion more effectively and comprehensively without any need to implement a drastic plan which will disrupt the lives of many residents, senior citizens, working people and small businesses in our city,” said Walter McCaffrey, former City Councilmember and lead spokesperson for the commission.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) recently announced that making improvements to the public transportation systems would cost roughly $767 million in order to accommodate the expected extra riders.
However, one Queens Assemblymember said those proposed improvements would not translate into major improvements for Queens customers.
“It is $767 million in marginal improvements that will have virtually no impact on Queens and provide Queens commuters with virtually no benefits,” Assemblymember Rory Lancman said.
In addition, Lancman continued to blast the mayor’s original plan for congestion pricing saying that in addition to the mass transit improvements, the mayor continued to tie the $354.5 million in federal funds New York City could receive to his proposal. However, only $10 million of that money would go to fund the more than $225 million expected to start up the program.
The 17-member commission is expected to hold a public hearing in Queens in the near future and York College, and it has until January 31, 2008 to make its recommendations. Once the city and state receive the commission’s recommendations, the legislature and governor will have until March 31 to vote on a bill in order to receive the $354.5 million in federal funds.
Discussions about a congestion pricing plan began earlier this year when Bloomberg announced a proposal that would charge car drivers $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan south of 86th Street on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in an attempt to decrease congestion in the central business district as well as improve air quality in the area.