Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bloomberg Accepts Commission's Modified Congestion Pricing Plan
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 1, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 1, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Weighing in on the modified congestion pricing plan the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission recommended, Mayor Bloomberg said:
"The Commission has done a thorough and thoughtful job. They've taken testimony from hundreds of residents, community leaders and civic organizations. They've held dozens of public meetings and have analyzed mountains of data. Although the final recommendation varies from our original proposal, I accept it.
"We will work with our partners in the Council and the State Legislature, and with Governor Spitzer, to make sure that we enact a proposal that meets our goals by March 31st. New York cannot afford to walk away from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds and a guaranteed revenue stream for the MTA's capital plan - which is necessary if we're going to continue to grow and thrive - and we can't afford to do nothing about traffic choking congestion, which is costing our City billions and polluting our air."
The commission, made up of appointees from the Mayor, Governor, City Council, State Senate, and State Assembly, voted 13-2 for a plan that would charge drivers a fee when traveling below 60th Street in Manhattan (the mayor's plan would have charged a fee for driving below 86th Street). Overall, the plan would raise $491 million for mass transit.
The Feds have promised over $350 million, if the plan is enacted. There is also a $1 charge for cab or Town car rides in and out of the zone. E-Z Pass drivers who pay the fee would get a credit for bridge or tunnel tolls.
The Daily News notes, "It would also eliminate the only free route between the Bronx and Brooklyn or Queens: Drivers using the FDR Drive and an East River bridge would have to pay the $8 fee, even if they didn't stop in Manhattan." Which prompted Queens Councilwoman Melinda Katz to say it's
an unfair tax on commuters in the four boroughs outside Manhattan...There are still no guarantees that projected revenues generated from the congesting pricing plan will be spent on mass transit."
Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver, who had been dragging his feet on the plan last summer, thinks there's more work to be done, but Governor Spitzer thinks there's upside because "what you're getting in return is a much better developer, much more efficient and effective transportation system which will get you to the downtown region at a better price and faster."
Image from the commisson's report; VMT=Vehicle Miles Traveled
Tagged
Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver
bloomberg
bronx
brooklyn
city
City Council
commuters
congestion pricing
daily news
drivers
east river
FDR drive
governor
Governor Spitzer
manhattan
mass transit
mayor
mayor bloomberg
motorists
MTA
new york
news
queens
sheldon silver
spitzer
state assembly
state legislature
state senate
study
The Commission
The Feds
traffic
Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission
Z Pass
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .