Streetsblog New York City

Ahead of this afternoon's opening meeting of the 17-member Traffic Mitigation Commission, the Campaign for New York's Future sends along a press release noting two recent studies about the impact of traffic congestion on the region's health and economy:

NEW YORK, September 25, 2007 - The following may be attributed to Michael O'Loughlin, Director of the Campaign for New York's Future:

"Today's first meeting of the New York City Traffic Mitigation Commission is a welcome and essential step in our collective efforts to substantially reduce traffic congestion, clean our air and improve our mass transit system.

"The need for a plan to reduce gridlock, increase mass transit options and clean our air has never been clearer or more timely. Since the members of the commission were named, two more independent reports have been released, which once again demonstrate the enormous public health and economic rationale for quick and decisive action. A study published in September in the New England Journal of Medicine found that even limited exposure to traffic-related pollution by people with heart disease during exercise can trigger a heart attack and even death [There was this editorial too]. A separate study, also in September by the Texas Transportation Institute, found that traffic congestion in New York City continues to worsen and cost drivers 384 million hours sitting in traffic in 2005 (PDF).

"Members of the Campaign for New York's Future, which includes leaders in the environmental, transportation, public health, civic, labor, business and environmental justice communities, stand ready to work with the Commission and to support the process of refining the most effective and equitable congestion reduction plan."

New York State Assembly Members Jose Rivera, Richard Brodsky and Adriano Espaillat

Mayor Bloomberg and the Campaign for New York's Future never really seemed to get that the congestion pricing debate was fundamentally going to be a fight about class, and the widening divide between rich and poor in New York City.

While the Mayor and the Campaign built their communications strategy around little girls with asthma and $500 million in federal funding for transit, opponents hammered away on class issues, arguing that congestion pricing is a "regressive tax," harmful to small business, the middle class and the aspiring middle class. Perhaps a Mayor Weiner or Carrion wouldn't have been as vulnerable to these clearly bogus class arguments. But the billionaire Republican mayor was.

The Mayor and the Campaign should have acknowledged up front that an $8 fee isn't going to prevent Donald Trump from driving in to Midtown if that's what he wants to do. But if CEO's and hedge fund managers are going to drive anyway, let's make them pay every time they decide to do so. And let's take their money and plow it into mass transit for the rest of us, the 95% of weekday commuters who don't use a car to get to work in Manhattan. Congestion pricing is transportation policy that Robin Hood would approve of.

It's probably too late for Bloomberg, but perhaps there are some lessons here for a Mayor Weiner or Carrion. The failure to address the class issue head-on allowed a congestion pricing opponent like Westchester Assembly Member Richard Brodsky to present himself as the defender of the little guy. Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. Brodsky did no favors to New York City's poor and middle class. He did, however, do a fantastic job of representing the interests of his relatively wealthy, suburban, car-commuting district.

Take a look at the income data from these three State Assembly districts. It's pretty clear who represents the interests of poor and middle class New York City residents and who does not:

19.6% of residents earn less than $35,000/year
26.6% of residents earn $35,000 to $75,000/year
53.3% of residents earn more than $75,000/year

Jose Rivera, congestion pricing supporter
D-Bronx
Assembly District 78

64.5% of residents earn less than $35,000/year
27.0% of residents earn $35,000 to $75,000/year
8.4% of residents earn more than $75,000/year

Adriano Espaillat, congestion pricing supporter
D-Manhattan
Assembly District 72

63.1% of residents earn less than $35,000/year
28.1% of residents earn $35,000 to $75,000/year
8.7% of residents earn more than $75,000/year

Numbers are based on 2000 census data assembled in 2002 by the New York State Legislative Taskforce on Demographic Research and Reapportionment.

Brooklyn Assembly Member Jim Brennan (right) tells me that he sees sentiment against Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan running at about "three- or four-to-one against" among his colleagues. Brennan suspects that the plan may not even pass the Republican-controlled Senate.

While Brennan supports congestion pricing himself, he is concerned that advocates have "over-sold the benefits to transit." The $380 million per year that would be raised by congestion pricing is "a drop in the bucket compared to the enormity of the fiscal crisis" that awaits the MTA."

Other congestion pricing updates:

• Sewell Chan has a minute-by-minute account of the morning's meetings in Albany (City Room) 
• Senate Dems not on board for congestion pricing (Daily Politics) 
• Bloomberg has nothing but good things to say about the State Senate (Politicker)
  

At a press conference today, a group of Bronx and northern Manhattan elected officials have signed on in support of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing effort. They are:

• Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion
• Assembly member Michael Benedetto
• Assembly member Adam Clayton Powell IV
• Bronx Democratic Chair and Assembly member Jose Rivera.
• Council member James Vacca.
• Council member Annabel Palma.

An updated list from The Daily Politics:

• Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat
• Assemblyman Peter Rivera
• Assemblyman Carl Heastie
• Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera

Here's a piece of the press release from the Campaign for New York's Future:

"Environmental Defense applauds Bronx Borough President Carrion, Assembly Members Benedetto, Powell and Rivera, and Council Members Palma and Vacca for supporting congestion pricing, clean energy and the goals of PlaNYC at this critical time," said Andy Darrell, director of the Living Cities program at Environmental Defense. "Vehicle emissions contribute more than 86% of the total cancer risk from toxic air pollution in the Bronx, and the air cancer risk from diesel is 1000 times higher than the EPA standards. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion's support helps move the Bronx -- and the city as a whole -- toward a future with less traffic pollution, better transit and lower energy bills. It's time for legislative leaders in Albany to take the step that Adolfo Carrion and his colleagues have taken today."

This Streetfilm, produced for The Campaign for New York's Future, speaks for itself. But it's worth noting its emphasis on (1) the fact that congestion pricing, while new to the United States, is a success in other parts of the world (and not only London); and (2) that traffic is choking the city, figuratively and literally.

The Campaign for New York's Future has released a new poll, a glossy mailer that'll go out to 380,000 families, and a television advertisement focusing on the health benefits of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030. The Daily Politics has a nice write-up:

With time running out up in Albany and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver saying he has no intention of moving on congestion pricing, the Campaign for New York's Future, a pro-congestion pricing coalition, has unleashed a new TV ad and a poll that indicates support for the proposal increases dramatically once people are explained the "benefits" of the mayor's plan -- as he sees them.

The ad features Keisha Lee, a Queens mother who lives near the 59th Street bridge and whose children all have asthma. Here's some of the script:

We live by the 59th Street Bridge. It's a nice area, but I think there's a lot of congestion. All my children have asthma. Basically, it's like, you know, someone sitting on your chest, and it's hard to breathe, and you're just, you're like gasping for breath. I think living under the 59h Street Bridge has contributed to my children's asthma. The air is very bad with all the congestion. With all the traffic going into Manhattan. It is hurting my children. I think we deserve a chance like everybody else, who want to have clean air nice playground for our children to play in.

A delegation of approximately 30 members of the Campaign for New York's Future are traveling to Albany today to meet with more than two dozen state legislators and other public officials. Today's trip follows a series of meetings on Monday in which key coalition leaders joined Mayor Bloomberg to call for urgent State action on the Mayor's key PlaNYC initiatives. Today's press release (care of Howard Rubenstein) lays out some of Bloomberg's key legislative goals up in Albany:

The Campaign for New York's Future is advocating urgent action, prior to June's close of the current legislative session, on key PlaNYC initiative requiring amendments to State law. These actions comprise four main categories:

Transportation - Among other actions, the coalition is advocating creation of a new Sustainable, Mobility and Regional Transportation (SMART) Finance Authority; authorization to use cameras on buses to enforce Bus Rapid Transit lanes; and authorization of residential parking districts within New York City.

Energy - Key proposed actions include authorization to create a New York City Energy Planning Board with representatives appointed by the Governor, the Mayor and utility companies; creation of a New York City Energy Efficiency Authority; authorization for the New York Power Authority to issue long-term power contracts; amendment to the City Charter requiring that the City dedicate 10 percent of the City's energy bill to be used on energy conservation projects; and tax abatements for the installation of solar panels.

Brownfields - The Campaign for New York's Future is calling on Albany to amend the State Brownfield Cleanup Program to reallocate tax credits, incentivize greater community participation, and expand eligibility to cover New York City specific contamination; and to authorize creation of a voluntary Brownfield cleanup program targeting 600 acres of brownfields in the City not currently eligible for the State program.

Air and Water Quality - The coalition is calling on Albany to amend Tax Law to provide for a local sales tax exemption on all hybrid vehicles purchased within New York City; and amend the Real Property Tax Law to provide property tax abatements on the installation of green roofs to reduce stormwater runoff.

In addition to launching a new website, two leading members of the Campaign, Environmental Defense and the Partnership for New York City, released a 30-second advertisement this week to correspond with the Mayor's trip to Albany. The ad highlights Bloomberg's call to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, create cleaner power plants, improve mass transit and reduce traffic pollution, "Together we can save the environment. But the clock...is ticking."

The ad is currently on the air in Albany and New York City, and, of course, it's on YouTube.

From a press release that just came across the Streetsblog transom:

Leading members of the Campaign for New York's Future, a broad coalition of 80 environmental, public health, civic, labor, community and business organizations, will today join Mayor Bloomberg in separate meetings with Governor Eliot Spitzer and State legislators to help call attention to the urgent need for action on the Mayor's PlaNYC initiative during the current legislative session.

The Campaign for New York's Future, which was formed in response to Mayor Bloomberg's visionary PlaNYC initiative, has grown to become an unprecedented coalition of organizations, from corporate to environmental justice advocates, and from century-old citywide institutions to recently-formed neighborhood grassroots groups. On Monday, the Campaign will stand with the Mayor in voicing its full support of his efforts to provide New Yorkers with the greenest, healthiest and most livable city in the United States.

The following comments come from leaders of the Campaign for New York's Future:

Gene Russianoff, Straphangers Campaign:

The Straphangers Campaign strongly supports the bold vision of Mayor Bloomberg's plans to tackle New York's environmental woes. We are especially excited about his proposals to provide billions of dollars to fund fixing and expanding the metropolitan-area's transit network. The first to benefit would rightly be those in neighborhoods that now have limited options, like Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, where I grew up.

Peggy Shepard, WE ACT:

The Mayor has demonstrated that he understands the depth of the challenge and has created a plan that resonates throughout our neighborhoods. It is important for all of us to stand with him in demanding improved air quality, reduced asthma prevalence, more access to open space and clean, reliable energy.

Andy Darrell, the Living Cities program at Environmental Defense:

Now is the time for New York City and State to unite in the fight against global warming. The proposed plan would deliver clean air, energy efficiency and technology innovation for millions of New Yorkers. It provides a model for how all of New York State's cities can lead the world in creating a healthy, low-carbon future. It deserves support now.

Richard Schrader, National Resources Defense Council:

More energy efficient homes and workspaces, along with highly efficient, cleaner power plants, and more fuel efficient cars are critical to meeting our growing energy needs, lowering energy bills, and reducing global warming pollution. We cannot start soon enough on implementing the Mayor's PlaNYC initiatives.