Comments on: Sneak Preview: Tuesday Night’s District 25 Candidate Debate

By: rufustfyrfly

rufustfyrfly — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:59:46 +0000

Oops. Got signed out up there. Sorry.

By: rufustfyrfly

rufustfyrfly — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:58:09 +0000

Elsewhere in that same questionnaire, Dromm said he supported a “dedicated bike lane” along Queens Boulevard. I hope they ask about that, I wasn’t entirely certain he was referring to a Class 1. I have heard him bring up traffic calming issues without prompting, though, which is a good sign.

[Full disclosure: I work for an organization that endorsed Dromm, which is why I heard him talking about this stuff.]

By: Charles Komanoff

Charles Komanoff — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:07:34 +0000

Ian — you may be right, but that only underscores the value of presenting her with a congestion pricing plan that would appear to satisfy her criteria and asking her to comment.

By: Ian Turner

Ian Turner — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:53:50 +0000

I’d say it’s quite plain that Sears is opposed to congestion pricing or bridge tolls of any kind, but knows better than to come out and say that to this audience.

By: Komanoff

Komanoff — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:02:06 +0000

I’m heartened by Councilmember Sears’ and challenger Dromm’s conditional endorsements of congestion pricing — contingent on an equitable distribution of burdens.

Sears told TA: “I … will advocate for a plan that equitably distributes any burdens equally among the five boroughs.” Dromm told TA: “Road pricing … must not … unfairly burden different sections of the City.”

I can’t attend TA’s Tues evening forum. I think it would be helpful if some livable streets advocate reading this post could ask the candidates the following question:

If a traffic-pricing plan were to be put on the table that collected considerably more toll revenues from residents of Manhattan than from residents of Queens or any other borough, and that promised to cut traffic congestion significantly while raising sufficient revenues to reduce transit fares, would such a plan meet your criterion of “equitable distribution” and do you feel you could support it?

I have in mind, of course, any of several variable-pricing “Kheel Plans,” which may be accessed with this link (see, especially, the “Incidence” worksheet).