Comments on: O’Donnell Supports PlaNYC, but Congestion Pricing? http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-33336 momos Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:21:03 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/#comment-33336 Northern Manhattan - Excellent points. Your suggestion of abolishing bulk EZ Pass discounts is a very sound one. Northern Manhattan – Excellent points. Your suggestion of abolishing bulk EZ Pass discounts is a very sound one.

]]> By: northern Manhattan point of view http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-33333 northern Manhattan point of view Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:26:08 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/#comment-33333 Washington Heights and Inwood bear the brunt of the traffic from the George Washington Bridge. The neighborhood around 181st Street is an asthma super-hot spot. Congestion pricing doesn't raise the cost of coming into the city from New Jersey because the toll makes it a wash. So they want to know, what's in it for them? Not better transit -- theirs is already better than average. They need (and deserve) a better solution to their particular congestion problem. Maybe the Port Authority should end the perverse incentive it offers commuters with a monthly discount on the toll. In the same way that bulk discounts for energy discourage conservation, bulk discounts for tolls only encourage driving. The discounts were needed to induce drivers to adopt EZ-Pass when it was new. Now it is enough of a convenience that the discounts aren't needed. Washington Heights and Inwood bear the brunt of the traffic from the George Washington Bridge. The neighborhood around 181st Street is an asthma super-hot spot. Congestion pricing doesn’t raise the cost of coming into the city from New Jersey because the toll makes it a wash. So they want to know, what’s in it for them? Not better transit — theirs is already better than average. They need (and deserve) a better solution to their particular congestion problem. Maybe the Port Authority should end the perverse incentive it offers commuters with a monthly discount on the toll. In the same way that bulk discounts for energy discourage conservation, bulk discounts for tolls only encourage driving. The discounts were needed to induce drivers to adopt EZ-Pass when it was new. Now it is enough of a convenience that the discounts aren’t needed.

]]> By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-33329 momos Sat, 30 Jun 2007 00:39:07 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/#comment-33329 Nevertheless, people should call O'Donnell's office to ensure his support for congestion pricing. DISTRICT OFFICE 212-866-3970 ALBANY OFFICE 518-455-5603 Nevertheless, people should call O’Donnell’s office to ensure his support for congestion pricing.

DISTRICT OFFICE
212-866-3970

ALBANY OFFICE
518-455-5603

]]> By: momos http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-33328 momos Sat, 30 Jun 2007 00:36:25 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/#comment-33328 I spoke to one of O'Donnell's aides last week and was told that he "supports congestion pricing in principle but has questions about some details." I was given the impression he will support it. His main concern is that his district, which lies just north of the pricing zone, will experience an increase in parking congestion as drivers seek to avoid the charge. Every major research finding studying that particular fear has found that in fact nothing of the sort occurs; rather than driving, then circulating for 20 minutes looking for a parking space and then taking mass transit, drivers simply take mass transit from the start of their journeys. I spoke to one of O’Donnell’s aides last week and was told that he “supports congestion pricing in principle but has questions about some details.” I was given the impression he will support it.

His main concern is that his district, which lies just north of the pricing zone, will experience an increase in parking congestion as drivers seek to avoid the charge.

Every major research finding studying that particular fear has found that in fact nothing of the sort occurs; rather than driving, then circulating for 20 minutes looking for a parking space and then taking mass transit, drivers simply take mass transit from the start of their journeys.

]]> By: Glenn McAnanama http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/comment-page-1/#comment-33306 Glenn McAnanama Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:30:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/29/odonnell-supports-planyc-but-congestion-pricing/#comment-33306 Congestion pricing is going to be won or lost on a Assembly district by Assembly district basis. Contact your Assemblymember to urge them to have PlaNYC voted on ASAP. http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/ And for O'Donnell, he should start reading Streetsblog: http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/07/congestion-pricing-legislation-introduced-download-it-here/ Congestion pricing is going to be won or lost on a Assembly district by Assembly district basis. Contact your Assemblymember to urge them to have PlaNYC voted on ASAP. http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

And for O’Donnell, he should start reading Streetsblog:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/06/07/congestion-pricing-legislation-introduced-download-it-here/

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