In Manhattan, the congestion comes from 4 ways. Double park, Construction, Pedestrians and Blockbusters.

Double park is very easy to solve, 50% of the double park truck owned by UPS, FedEx, DHL, Soda delivery and police cars. Only if the city stop offering huge discount to this company’s ticket and ask their management to regulate the driver. This can be done in a week and reduce 30%+ congestion.

Blockbusters was 2 point plus fine ticket before Bloomberg. But today no one seems care about that at all. If our police officer and brownies start to issue ticket to those drivers (especially city bus) who block the cross after light change again, this will solve in maybe a month.

Construction maybe harder, but most of the work can be done in one lane, but they closed two lanes, the new buildings usually close lanes for years while they can really working inside their own property.

Pedestrians is the biggest problem but still can be solved. If we can build a underground street under the regular street, and make all the Pedestrians cross from underground, then we will have no Pedestrians on the street. The under-street should be combined with all the utility pipe and the rent collect from the utility company can pay for the cost to build it. It’s also good for those utility company because they don’t have to dig the street anymore, all repair can be done from the under-street which save them big money.
This will also solve the remaining problem from construction.

The issue raised, "is it a tax or is it to lower vehicles coming in" is a question that a junior school student should be asking. In a way, I believe what Agarwalla said is a justified answer! This is one tool / program that will give you both income and reduction of traffic. And lowering of pollution for a better living comes in free. Ask those staying in the Zone and they will tell you!!!”

The issue raised, "is it a tax or is it to lower vehicles coming in" is a question that a junior school student should be asking. In a way, I beleive what Agarwalla has told is a justified answer! This is one tool / program that will give you both income and reduction of traffic. And lowering of pollution for a better living comes in free. Ask those staying in the Zone and they will tell you!!!

As someone you might dismiss as ancient, I'd like you to consider the possibility that the reason Denny Farrell is a hack is because he's a hack and always has been, not because he's 75.

Many New Yorkers my age and older support congestion pricing for the same reasons we have allied ourselves over the years with progressive policy reform in human rights, social justice, peace, livable neighborhoods, and a livable planet.

I ask you to remember that some of your most ardent, active and vocal allies are ancients like me.

Farrell and Cook -- I don't even know what to make of these two. One thing that was immediately clear at the meeting on Wednesday was that they are completely oblivious to the notion that they have to represent citywide and regional interests on this Commission. Both of these ancient, crusted-over, New York State pols seemed unable to get beyond the immediate traffic concerns of their own districts.

Farrell was the only Commissioner to bring up the traffic problems in his own neighborhood. It was a telling moment. At least Brodsky seemed to understand that he has a bigger role to play on the Commission than just representing Westchester commuters. Still, you get the sense that Brodsky just wants to kill the thing.

So one question is how much economic activity would be lost if people choose to engage in non-work activities closer to home, in places where they can drive, where will that activity be shifted, and how much is being lost now because of how unpleasant all the traffic makes Midtown.

If this is true, what conclusion are we supposed to draw from it? (Put more bluntly: so what?). You may well have a point, but I don't think it's clear.

For anyone who has taken at least one high school or college class on Economics, this is an extremely frustrating question, and a scary one coming from a politician who's been in the business of making taxes and encouraging/discouraging behaviors through public policy for decades.

The BEST taxes are taxes that discourage behavior that has a detrimental impact on society. ANY tax on a behavior--be it smoking, buying luxury goods, earning income, or driving--will discourage that behavior. This means that it's not either-or. It's BOTH. And that's exactly what Mr. Aggarwala responded--"it does all these things"--and our dim-witted assemplyman retorts that "both" is not an answer.

Why can't we have educated people running our government instead of demagogues, hacks, and assorted ideologues?

AGAIN: EVERY TAX DISCOURAGES THE BEHAVIOR THAT IT TAXES.