In fairness, the PlaNYC documents explicitly disavow surveillance use of data collected for CP purposes and say that the data will be destroyed once payments are made. However I doubt that will be the whole story.

As Angus points out, bicyclists are not exempt from surveillance (I have also heard rumors of NYPD undercover infiltration of bicycle rides and groups!). I will not forget a meeting of the CB 8 Transpo Committee I attended, where a CB member blithely mentioned the non sequitur that all bicycles should be licensed as if they were motor vehicles, during a discussion of pedestrian safety measures on Park Avenue. So at some point I expect the civil liberties agenda to be in more explicit tenstion with the green agenda.

I’m not happy about the surveillance angle, but anyone who opposes toll replacement on these grounds should also oppose the tracking of bus and train passengers.

““This would mark the end of the tollbooth as we know it, replacing these brick-and-mortar symbols of the 20th century with the digital imaging technology of the 21st century,” Mr. Shorris said in a speech to a civic group.”

“The authority also uses cameras to take pictures of license plates on cars that drive through E-ZPass gates without paying. Under the proposal, all tollbooths would be removed, and more of those cameras would be installed to bill vehicles without E-ZPasses.”

I’m not saying people should therefore oppose this measure (or congestion pricing, which has similar surveillance synergies), but it’s interesting that the press never picks up on this angle. The anti-terrorist angle may well be the secret glue (along with traditional back-room back-scratching) that brings dissenting legislators into the congestion pricing tent.