… a few selected quotes from yesterday’s wreckage…
• “While some Queens politicians are claiming that the plan is elitist, the reality of it is that the elites killed this plan. With money going toward transit and a better environment for our city as part of the payoff, congestion pricing was and always will be a populist plan.”
(Second Avenue Sagas)
• “The ball is in your court Mr. Silver. The city needs tens of billions of dollars in new transit infrastructure investment. This plan has died on your doorstep. Now it’s up to you to FIND THE MONEY.”
(Brooklyn Streets, Carroll Gardens)
(And how about Silver’s statement: “Let me be clear: If I were making the decision alone, I might have made a different decision,” Mr. Silver said. Actually, he’s being as UNclear as possible, so that when budget deficits and fare hikes rear their ugly heads he can always say he MIGHT have made a different decision! What a coward…)
• “The fundamental facts remain the same. The traffic problem and air pollution problems are real. The need for better transit is real. Two-thirds of New Yorkers support congestion pricing if the funds are used for transit. The success of congestion pricing in other cities is real. The reality is that we have to come up with a plan to solve our traffic and transit crisis, if not today then tomorrow.”
(Michael O’Loughlin, Campaign for New York’s Future)
• “It will be interesting to see how the country’s most worthless and corrupt state legislative body will justify raising transit fares (a “TAX” on the working class if ever there was one). They seem perfectly comfortable voting for a 22% pay raise for themselves- for a part time job. How can they justify turning down 350 million in federal money for the rest of us??”
(Streetsblog comment)
• “More important than the cost to a small percentage of commuters is the cost of maintaining the status quo and not implementing a congestion pricing plan. Millions more people will clog our roads over the next few decades without viable alternative mass transportation options, making daily commutes far more unbearable.”
(Nassau County Assembly Democrat Michelle Schimel, via Streetsblog)
It’s terrible! I was really hoping this would go through. I don’t understand how they could walk away from 350 Million Dollars and improvements in mass transit. Traffic and pollution in the city definitely needs to be addressed and I hope these jokers in Albany have some kind of a backup plan to ease these issues.
We don’t know what the elected boses said
Closed committee? in a democracy??? Isn’t this what they said communism s like?
Shame on anyone elected who can’t simply say they are for congestion pricing or not! Watch how easy it is. ”My name is John Webber and I support congestion pricing”
From the nytimes.com on the web….
ALBANY — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s far-reaching plan to ease traffic in Manhattan died here on Monday in a CLOSED CONFERENCE ROOM on the third floor of the Capitol.
“It takes a special type of cowardice for elected officials to refuse to stand up and vote their conscience on an issue that has been debated, and amended significantly to resolve many outstanding issues, for more than a year,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “Every New Yorker HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW if the person they send to Albany was for or against better transit and cleaner air.”
Good for you Mayor Mike, I often don’t agree with you, yet on this I’m proud of you.