Posted on 11/11/2005 5:23:29 AM PST by Calpernia
New York City is studying a plan to charge $7 to motorists who drive into midtown during peak hours. The New York Times reports that the Partnership for New York City -- is engaged in a nine-month study of so-called "congestion pricing.''
Such a pricing model would theoretically lead more people to carpool or use mass transit, as well as help air quality and allow for speedier bus routes.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's spokesman told the paper it is not on his second-term agenda.
According to outlines of the plan, the 840,000 cars that enter Manhattan south of 60th Street on a week day could get a $7 charge during peak hours. Cars that start and finish in that zone might pay a $4 charge. The outside Manhattan highways -- such as the FDR drive and Westside Highway would stay free.
No toll barriers would be set up, but drivers could have to prepay the fees using vending machines or through the Internet. Video cameras would be used to match license plates with accounts.
London has success with a similar plan.
ping
another ping
http://1010wins.com/?can_view=315082551
Do you think a midtown driving fee would reduce traffic congestion?
Yes
No
Not sure
It's not about the revenue
It's not about the revenue
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE REVENUE!
Bloomberg's way of thumbing his nose to losing on the Sunday meters?
Let's see:
840,000($7.00)=$5,880,000.00(365)=$2,146,200,000.00
That is a nice chunk of change for the city, although with their rate of spending it won't last 2 days.
Let's see:
840,000($7.00)=$5,880,000.00(365)=$2,146,200,000.00
That is a nice chunk of change for the city, although with their rate of spending it won't last 2 days.
it will never pass, the camera system needed is immense.
It would work with a system like ezPass, though.
That was a corrupt contract.
this idea would be based on the london system - cameras photographing plates, matching them to users "accounts" where they would be charged (or fined).
Ah. I just automatically thought of ezPass.
Thanks.
they could ezpass the free east side bridges and achieve the same desired effect (more money, less traffic into manhattan) - but the traffic backups from the toll plazas into queens and brooklyn would be massive.
manhattan is already a place where businesses operate with employees who live no where near their places of work. at some point, businesses and their workers will simply have too many burdens placed on them to continue supporting this practice - and will realize its easier to relocate to where the workers are anyway. the problem with that is, all of the NY mass transit is designed to get workers from the suburbs - to Manhattan. as more businesses move to NJ or the outer boroughs - the only way to get to work there is by car. so strangling manhattan and forcing businesses to move, just pushes more people into their cars in the outer locales, and off mass transit.
what they really need to do is gut the MTA and the LIRR - they are bloated, inefficient, the service is poor. if mass transit were better, cheaper and faster - less people would drive.
If more businesses relocate to NJ, watch NY eminent domain NJ.
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