The Congested Money Grab
Mar 23, 2008
Congestion pricing for Manhattan will be a big mistake. All it will do is create a new source of tax revenue for politicians to find ways to spend and not reduce congestion. I don't care our Mayor and now Governor are in favor of it. The City Council and State Legislature must oppose this money grab policy that will find its way in increasing our budget by 30% or 40% or whatever. We already have a $60 billion budget, do we need one that is bigger?
I've watched the news showing 3rd Avenue or Times Square during rush hour. What do I see? Cabs. Buses. Trucks. Occasionally, what appears to be a privately owned car heads down the Avenue. Congestion pricing is supposed to deter people from driving on the streets of Manhattan. Well, if it appears all the vehicles are cabs buses, and trucks, which cars are coming off the roads?
If people realized they had to pay $8 a day or twice a day, they'd think long and hard about driving into Manhattan. OK. True. But how will they get here and how will they get around? Cabs? I see cabby fares going up because of this, so I can't imagine an uptick on fare rides. Buses? Subways? OK, this is a problem, because these modes of transportation are already overcrowded, how will more commuters squeeze on these transports?
People don't just drive into Manhattan for a fun ride. Commuters dread driving into the island, but if it's an absolute necessity, then one drives. Now, politicians want to collect money from you for driving, so they can cover pension costs or fund some more of their pet projects.
When someone asks me if I like Mayor Bloomberg, I reply, "I don't dislike him as a person." I'm sure if I met him at a political function or saw him on the subway or in a restaurant, I'd say hello and respect that he was elected twice as our chief executive. As a politician though, I feel he is a control freak looking to make New York City the Nanny Capital of the World. Our next candidate needs to possess a libertarian streak in his blood. If not our next mayor, then a handful of councilman and our public advocate.
I recently blogged about the L train at the 1st Avenue stop. The L train is extremely packed during rush hour. Forget the 7 train, it is the most congested subway train in the entire system. All trains are extremely congested and now the mayor wants to put more people on these trains, just to clear the roads. This doesn't really sit well with me and many other New Yorkers. Let's hope our council and state reject this congestion pricing money grab.
