Thursday, April 3, 2008

Family Feud: Why congestion pricing is A-ok

Fellow blogger and my sister Vanessa posted in opposition to Mayor
Bloomberg's congestion pricing program.

I cannot claim to be an expert on the plan, but from what I know of
it. I have to give it my stamp of approval.

Extraneous traffic into midtown manhattan needs to be curtailed.
That's the beginning and the end of it. Any commuting new yorker knows
that driving into Manhattan during the business day is a hellish
nightmare of epic proportions. Unfortunately there is only one way to
get people to cut back. Hit them in the wallet.

The long term mass transit needs of NYC are massive and they will need
capital investment. That capital needs to he raised from somewhere,
and hitting people who needlessly drive into Manhattan is the way to
do it.

Mayor Mike's plan is based on the largely sucessful London version, an
effort to reduce air-clogging, street stuffing congestion from their
busiest areas. That plan worked and I see no reason NYC's can't.

NYC needs to lead the nation in Green activism for the city to
maintain its property values. Fewer cars means more space, better air,
less noise. Congestion pricing means raising money to get our mass
transit system on par with the ever growing ridership.

As for John Corzine's lawsuit. As a New Yorker, I don't really
understand how the governor of New Jersey can sue to effect the laws
of a city outside his jurisdiction. I would Mayor Bloomberg to sue New
Jersey on it behalf for all those tolls on the NJ parkway, they're a
real pain when I want to go to the shore. I got a message from Queens
to NJ. Two words. RIGHT HERE!

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