The commission in charge of finding a solution for the chronicgridlock that plagues New York City made its final recommendations
Thursday, approving a scaled-down version of the original plan that
still charges cars $8 to enter the most traffic-choked parts of
Manhattan.
The plan follows the lead of other cities around the globe that
started similar "congestion pricing'' systems and would make New York
the first city in the nation to embark on such an effort. The
commission's recommendations must now be approved by the City Council
and Legislature before taking effect.
The goal behind the fees is to get more people to take mass transit,
thus improving the notorious gridlock and pollution issues in the city.
Mass transit advocate Gene Russianoff said the commission
desperately needed to take action. "The city is drowning in traffic,''
he said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's original plan called for $8 fees for cars
to enter Manhattan anywhere below 86th street, along with charging
drivers a $4 fee to travel within the so-called congestion zone. The
new plan eliminates the $4 charge to drive within the zone.
Instead, taxis would be hit with a $1 surcharge for trips that start
and/or end in the zone. Parking meter rates in the zone would increase
as well.
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