Any project with next to nothing REAL VISIBLE and VERIFIABLE accountability should be rejected - too easy to throw money on just PR and sound bytes - too easy - no good plans heard from the Official Rulers yet on what specific steps will be taken for all the infrastructure's major, major issues...

So let's have all the above: permit parking, East/Harlem River tolls and congestion pricing. For the free curb space permit parking might create, turn it into delivery zones to eliminate double parking of trucks.

I doubt you'd see a bunch of new cars on the street; you'd see fewer owned by commuters from NJ and CT, but I don't think anyone would go out and buy a car simply becuse congestion is better.

Fannypack who says there has to be free passage between the boroughs? That wasn't the case until the tolls on the East River bridges were removed (do we all conveniently forget they used to be tolled?)

There will nevr be true equality beteen the boroughs in transit; let me remind those of you in the outer boroughs that my cost to ride the subway four stops to work is the same as for your 45 minute commute. And most of us supposedly rich Manhattanites take public transit, equalling more subsidy for the outer boroughs.

See what I mean? We have to form a coalation the non-driving majority in NYC; if it's a borough fight we'll lose it. Their capital letters are too strong.

An entry toll is too divisive, pitting Manhattanites against everyone else. Because pricing will toll in-zone trips it's more politically palatable to the city as a whole, and it really is more fair. There's no reason that car owners in the zone should be coddled or excused for their pollution and hogging of public space. If we tolled the East River bridges and added permit parking, there would be reliable free spots and less traffic for residents; many would yield to the temptation. Then we'd be back where we started, except with different people running us down.

c.p. is the way to go.

I live in Manhattan and suffer from the congestion in many ways:
- Pollution. A smog check on trucks and cars entering would help here.
- Safety. Unlike the other boroughs where the majority of traffic is on the highways, in Manhattan the backups are on the side streets and avenues where we Manhattanites live. Crossing the street can be a live-threatening move here.
- Emergency response. Where are the studies that show the impact of congestion on Manhattan fire, ambulance and police response times?
- Quality of life. You outer-boroughers who don't like this charge do not have to deal with the constant horn-blowing of everyone stuck in traffic.

I believe the mayor should also implement city-wide permit parking and use the revenues to construct parking garages in the outer boroughs at subway stops. Walking down my block the number of cars parked which are registered in NJ, CT or PA is close to 50%. Every other major city in the world has permit parking...why not NY?

There are serious flaws with the congestion pricing scheme as laid out, namely the one that reduces the charge if you already paid a toll to get into the city, not charging a toll to use the FDR or West St, and getting rid of the Henry Hudson bridge toll.

Frankly tolling the East and Harlem River bridges and introducing permit parking would probably have enough of an impact to meet the 6.3% reduction and would be a whole lot easier than cameras and an arbitrary line across 86th St. And for the cry-babies in the Bronx and Harlem I'm sure a plan could be put in place like we do for the Staten Islanders and the Verrazano bridge.

Federal money to set up your toll (back-door tax) scheme?

You want this do nothing nonsence, pay for it yourself. This is a money grab, pure and simple. If Bloomberg wants to get in the pockets of New Yorkers, fine. Just keep his hands out of everyone else's pockets. $354 million my butt!

actually, stuy was a top notch choice school well before it moved out of its ancient cramped quarters

NYC Transit has been talking about underground receptivity for ages and has accomplished nothing.

Of course the other obvious "amenity" would be video screens. You have these in PATH stations (with a mind-deadening lack of information) and apparently we are going to get them in taxis. MTA could make big money from video displays in subways if they let some outfit like Captivate run commercials on them, but I would oppose that kind of privatization. Maybe the subway video displays could run Streetsblog.

Actually, the new Bloomberg building up near Bloomingdale's provides free coffee, juice, snacks and newspapers in an open atrium space to all employees and visitors! Let's think how the concept might be used to wean drivers out of their cars, which offer mobile offices/napping/eating. What amenities could we offer on subways, trains, buses that would make using those modes more useful and pleasant? Wi-fi, cell phone reception, coffee, newspapers, social networking, work space? How about the stations? We need to be creative about making time spent in transit as productive as that now possible in a car. It's not impossible.