Congestion Pricing Goes Down

Almost everyone is probably aware that Bloomberg's congestion pricing proposal went down in flames yesterday. I've always generally supported the idea. It should be remembered that it is, largely, a pilot, and there is always the chance that it could fail. I too have some misgivings about the design—I, for instance, think it should be city-wide so that people aren't encouraged to park in the still very dense urban neighborhoods outside the charging zone.

Here's a link to the story on the BBC.

The New York Times is still holding out hope that the plan could be salvaged (Make Nice, Win Up to $500 Million):

Yesterday, two days after a federal deadline, leaders in Albany were attempting a 13th-hour rescue of the congestion-pricing proposal. Voters could have been spared the cliffhanger, but the turnaround is welcome if it works. In the days leading to the deadline, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, disappointingly, did not even seem to be trying. Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno did not get a bill through his chamber. Gov. Eliot Spitzer did not push hard enough. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who needs congestion pricing as part of his plan to reduce greenhouse gases, should have done a better job selling it.

This is no time, though, for finger-pointing. Mayor Bloomberg, in particular, is wise to check his anger at Albany lawmakers because he still needs them as long as there is a glint of hope the city could still get a hearing for a federal grant. The Department of Transportation, which has praised Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal, has not ruled out that it could extend last Monday’s application deadline for applying for the $500 million.

That said, there is a deeper underlying issue here: New York City shouldn't need Albany's approval to implement a critical public policy. Albany has a whole state to worry about, and New York City is geographically a tiny part of that state. It probably has a better grasp on its own transportation needs than Albany.