New NY governor Paterson supports City congestion pricing

The new governor of New York David Paterson moved Friday (2008-03-21) to support New York City congestion pricing - one of the largest toll system projects going in the US. Paterson issued a statement of support and submitted an enabling bill to the legislature.

"Congestion Pricing addresses two urgent concerns of the residents of New York City and its suburbs: the need to reduce congestion on our streets and roads, and thereby reduce pollution and global warming; and the need to raise significant revenue for mass transit improvements," Governor Paterson said.

Revenue from the Congestion Pricing plan "will support more than $4.5 billion in needed capital improvements for mass transit and meaningfully reduce traffic into the Central Business District of Manhattan."

The bill, Paterson says, "allows the City Council and Legislature to examine the details of the proposal and make an informed judgment."

Bloomberg made pitch

The New York Times reports that the newly installed governor made his move to support congestion pricing after "an impassioned pitch" from Mayor Michael Bloomberg behind closed doors at City Hall Wednesday. Political reporters say Paterson's support for congestion pricing is much more important than was support from the prior governor Eliot Spitzer. Whereas Spitzer was heartily disliked and seen as having diminishing political influence over recent months, Paterson is a smooth operator and liked by legislators.

Key is whether Paterson can bring along the House speaker Sheldon Silver, the consummate smokyroom dealmaker - in it to gain what he can put out as benefits for his ward. Elimination of the intra-zone toll originally proposed at half the entry toll ($4 and $8) was partly designed to appeal to Silver.

The city council and legislature are due to vote on congestion pricing before March 31. The City's deadline for formally applying for an offered federal grant of $354m is April 7.

Gov summarizes:

The Governor's statement summarizes the bill:

- the Congestion Pricing Zone would include any roadways in Manhattan south of and inclusive of 60th Street 6am - 6pm Mon-Fri except for some holidays

- establish the $8 fee as recommended by the (traffic mitigation) Commission, including a surcharge on taxis

- eliminate the Manhattan long-term parking tax discount within the zone

- set out privacy protocols based on existing E-ZPass privacy

- provide exemptions for authorized emergency vehicles; safety, traffic and parking control, and inspection vehicles; sanitation vehicles; school vehicles; and privately operated over-the-road buses

- prescribe a residential parking permit program

- lay out the environmental review process for Congestion Pricing which follows the Commission’s recommendation

- the City will oversee a monitoring program for traffic, air quality, noise, parking and other environmental impacts and release annual reports; a preliminary report will be available to the public within six months of the operation date

- the funds raised by the fee will be used, after deducting for the cost of operations, to support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) capital plan, which was released at the end of February

- priority for funding will be for areas in need underserved by transit

- capital expenditures will be subject to approval by the MTA’s capital program review board, and a representative of the New York City Council Speaker will have the same rights and privileges of the board members appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Senate Minority Leader and the Assembly Minority Leader

- for capital expenses derived from Congestion Pricing, the MTA will follow all legally applicable prevailing wage laws

- any increase in parking fees by the City, as recommended by the Commission, will go into a “transit enhancement fund” to be used exclusively for additional transit, pedestrian, bicycle and parking management improvements, including ferries.

see the statement http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0321081.html

TOLLROADSnews 2008-03-23