There should be as few exemptions as possible: taxis, ambulances and police cars are understandable. No other exemptions should be permitted, city vehicles included.

(Taxis, by the way, are a semi-public form of transportation since the same car is used over and over by different people. Further, it would be unfair to add yet more costs for taxi drivers, who already suffer high fixed costs and have no ability to increase fares.)

I’m cynical enough to imagine that cops will hide their EZpass, and use license plate covers that block the camera from getting a clear shot. These are illegal, of course. But who enforces the use of them? Cops. “We don;t ticket our own.”

No one can convince me that POlice CPR will be affected by Congestion pricing. (CPR = Cop Parking Rights.)

But don’t you think the congestion pricing will help limit the abuse? Instead of letting a traffic enforcement cop decide whether or not to ticket a car with a placard, th congestion pricing model would register the same car’s entry to lower manhattan electronically and automatically–the camera has no “discretion.” Even though some NYPD and other public employees get free EZ passes, at least the use of those free EZ passes for congestion pricing fees would be documented and easily retrievable (and in theory accessible through freedom of information requests).

I think congestion pricing would cut down on placard abuse, and lay the groundwork for eliminating it (at least within the congestion zone).

As it happened- I followed a scooter on my way to work yesterday. I was able to hear it over a half a block away while cars were quieter at half that distance.

FWIW

You’re still talking large 2-strokes. Europe has allowed large 2-stroke motors for 2 decades longer than the US, but they won;t meet tough new Euro standards for pollution. These vehicles do not exist in the US in any substantial numbers other than a few that have been imported and registered illegally.

Since 1985 there have only been 3 two-stroke vehicles sold in the USA with a displacement larger than 50cc, each of these vehicles had to meet strict 49-state emissions standards.

As for the noise, that is an enforcement issue (surprise!). EPA noise levels for motorbikes are very stringent, but nearly every motorcycle is illegally modified afterwards. There is virtually no enforcement of these violations.

If you want to hate all motorized vehicles, then that it fine. But note that the US is the only country in the world that does not treat motorbikes as a favorable mode of transport. Just learned today that Toronto allows motorbikes to park for free at muni-meters.

Italian cities are lovely for the ZTL (limited traffic zones– non-resident cars and motorbikes outside of the city center), but I wouldn’t imitate the scooter addiction.

I hope there’s no exception for them.

An electric bicycle works much better and is inherently safer, if one needs assistance.

Benefits:
- Quiets those outside the congestion zone who think their neighborhoods will suffer from additional parkers avoiding the fee
- Adds another disincentive to drive into the city
- Can be a HUGE source of revenue for the city (cheapest real estate in the city…curbside parking = free)
- Reserves street parking to those who live in the city and actually pay city taxes and register thie cars in the city
- Is easy to introduce as the process is in place for a reduced tax rate for those who pay to park in a city garage

Of course the whole placard abuse issue would help as well…but Mike doesn’t seem willing to tackle that one yet….

Also the mayor has stated that transit options will be increased BEFORE charging goes in.

Get some data. Countries suffering from the “blight” of polution from motorcycles are third-world countries that are populated almost entirely by old technology 2-stroke motors which are esentially outlawed in the USA, and have been since the mid 1980s. London is not suffering from the blight of polution from motorcycles and scooters, and sales have skyrocketed there since the Congestion pricing scheme went into effect.

I hope not. They are a blight on cities around the world. I’d hate to trade air pollution for noise pollution.

Pete, the perfect is the enemy of the good. I’m sure many here would agree that taxis should be charged to enter Manhattan but the plan is fighting for it’s life as it is- adding the TLC as an opponent would have be stupid on Bloomberg’s part.

In any case, taxis differ from private cars in that they can be regulated to control their emissions and their is a finite number of them.

“How come our team can’t do better than London and come up with a plan to reduce traffic without a new charge?” Carrots AND sticks must be used…not just sticks.

I agree that cabs and liveries should have to pay as well. It is inconsistent not to make the TLC fleet, which contributes its share of congestion, contribute to the solution. But that can come later.

The added burden on the transit system will be significant, and the improved bus service will be important, but adding 94,000 people to the subway system is not as big a deal as adding 94,000 cars to the roads.