The window for the mayor to launch the public/political outreach side of the pricing effort is mid-November through early spring 2007. Otherwise the clock is going to run out. The next mayoral campaign will be in full swing by late spring 2008. If by then, pricing is still in doubt, it will very likely be crushed by the political pandering of a campaign year. So, all the rumors point to 2007 as the year of pricing.

I see a big MTA fiscal crisis and school settlement as pricing deal makers. The mayor has probably already bought plane tickets for Silver and Quinn to visit London.