WonderlandPark
Apr 1, 2008, 1:59 AM
Council Approves Congestion Pricing Measure on 30-20 Vote
By Sewell Chan
Updated, 9:24 p.m. | Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the New York City Council approved a measure urging state lawmakers to vote in favor of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s congestion pricing proposal. The vote was 30 to 20, with one member absent. (See the full vote tally below.) Mayor Bloomberg immediately scheduled a news conference for later this evening with the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, to celebrate the passing of his plan, which has left city and state lawmakers sharply divided.
At the City Hall news conference, the mayor called the vote “the result of a lengthy democratic process,” and declared, “The people of New York City have spoken.” Ms. Quinn said that of the 30 yes votes, 20 were from outside Manhattan — signaling support for the proposal in the other boroughs, where opponents have been focusing their organizing efforts.
If the State Legislature gives approval, the mayor said, the implementation of congestion pricing could begin by March 31, 2009.
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I think the State has to approve this, but this is one of the big steps to the first congestion pricing scheme in the USA.
I am a total car driver (30-40K a year since 1990) but I give this idea a :tup:
By Sewell Chan
Updated, 9:24 p.m. | Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the New York City Council approved a measure urging state lawmakers to vote in favor of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s congestion pricing proposal. The vote was 30 to 20, with one member absent. (See the full vote tally below.) Mayor Bloomberg immediately scheduled a news conference for later this evening with the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, to celebrate the passing of his plan, which has left city and state lawmakers sharply divided.
At the City Hall news conference, the mayor called the vote “the result of a lengthy democratic process,” and declared, “The people of New York City have spoken.” Ms. Quinn said that of the 30 yes votes, 20 were from outside Manhattan — signaling support for the proposal in the other boroughs, where opponents have been focusing their organizing efforts.
If the State Legislature gives approval, the mayor said, the implementation of congestion pricing could begin by March 31, 2009.
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I think the State has to approve this, but this is one of the big steps to the first congestion pricing scheme in the USA.
I am a total car driver (30-40K a year since 1990) but I give this idea a :tup: