Council Approves Congestion Pricing Before Final Version Is Set
Home rule message would extend to as-yet-undetermined Assembly bill
The City Council voted to send a “home rule” message to Albany March 31, requesting that the State Legislature approve congestion pricing for New York City.
The system, which is a modified version of one first proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last April, would charge drivers for driving south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Revenues from the fees would in turn be used to fund mass transit improvements, with some of those improvements—from increased express bus service to new subway construction—put in place over the next year.
The plan passed the Council by a vote of 30-20, with Council Member Helen Foster (D-Bronx) absent. This margin represents an unusually contentious battle in the Council, with negotiations which went into the last hours before the vote occurred. The plan had the support of all 10 Manhattan Council members, the whole Bronx delegation and members from the other three boroughs as well.
Council Member Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) spearheaded the opposition to the plan, based both on his dissatisfaction with congestion pricing as a concept and his belief that the Council was making a dangerous error by approving a home rule message before knowing the substance of the final bill in front of the Legislature.
“We are absolutely ceding authority to the state,” he said, speaking in the State and Federal Legislation Committee hearing which preceded the full Council vote. “We are about to set a precedent in New York that I think is very dangerous to set.”
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) led the effort in favor of the congestion pricing legislation.
“This is a tough decision. This is a bold and different idea for New York City, congestion pricing. But rarely are really important things easy decisions. Rarely are ideas that push the envelope, that maybe make people a little uncomfortable—rarely are those easy decisions,” she said, introducing the bill to the Council.
After the vote, she called the vote an important victory.
“These home rule messages will send a message to the State Legislature,” she said, “that we are sick and tired of our streets being clogged with traffic, we are sick and tired of having the children who live in our city literally having to fight to be able to breathe, that we see congestion pricing as a solution to these problems.”
Joining Quinn at the press conference, Bloomberg was enthusiastic about the vote.
“It is now completely clear that congestion pricing has the strong backing of the people of New York City,” he said.
The plan now goes to the State Legislature for review. Gov. David Paterson (D) has endorsed congestion pricing, as has State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer). Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) so far has not taken a position.
Neither Quinn nor Bloomberg addressed what changes, if any, might be made to the bill in advance of a vote in the Assembly.
The Legislature must approve the plan by April 7 for the city to be eligible for $354 million in federal funding for the advance transit improvements.
Photo by Andrew Schwartz.
The system, which is a modified version of one first proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last April, would charge drivers for driving south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Revenues from the fees would in turn be used to fund mass transit improvements, with some of those improvements—from increased express bus service to new subway construction—put in place over the next year.
The plan passed the Council by a vote of 30-20, with Council Member Helen Foster (D-Bronx) absent. This margin represents an unusually contentious battle in the Council, with negotiations which went into the last hours before the vote occurred. The plan had the support of all 10 Manhattan Council members, the whole Bronx delegation and members from the other three boroughs as well.
Council Member Lewis Fidler (D-Brooklyn) spearheaded the opposition to the plan, based both on his dissatisfaction with congestion pricing as a concept and his belief that the Council was making a dangerous error by approving a home rule message before knowing the substance of the final bill in front of the Legislature.
“We are absolutely ceding authority to the state,” he said, speaking in the State and Federal Legislation Committee hearing which preceded the full Council vote. “We are about to set a precedent in New York that I think is very dangerous to set.”
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) led the effort in favor of the congestion pricing legislation.
“This is a tough decision. This is a bold and different idea for New York City, congestion pricing. But rarely are really important things easy decisions. Rarely are ideas that push the envelope, that maybe make people a little uncomfortable—rarely are those easy decisions,” she said, introducing the bill to the Council.
After the vote, she called the vote an important victory.
“These home rule messages will send a message to the State Legislature,” she said, “that we are sick and tired of our streets being clogged with traffic, we are sick and tired of having the children who live in our city literally having to fight to be able to breathe, that we see congestion pricing as a solution to these problems.”
Joining Quinn at the press conference, Bloomberg was enthusiastic about the vote.
“It is now completely clear that congestion pricing has the strong backing of the people of New York City,” he said.
The plan now goes to the State Legislature for review. Gov. David Paterson (D) has endorsed congestion pricing, as has State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer). Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) so far has not taken a position.
Neither Quinn nor Bloomberg addressed what changes, if any, might be made to the bill in advance of a vote in the Assembly.
The Legislature must approve the plan by April 7 for the city to be eligible for $354 million in federal funding for the advance transit improvements.
Photo by Andrew Schwartz.
