Give Me Traffic Congestion or Give Me Death

Behold the awesomeness that is the logo of the Stop NYC Congestion Tax web site by Brooklyn Young Republican Jonathan J. Judge (not to be confused with the mysterious Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free web site). I’m no brand identity specialist but here’s how I read it:

Grumpy over deteriorating air quality, low visibility and climate change-induced summer heat during this year’s July 4 weekend traffic blitz, Lady Liberty wades over to the Holland Tunnel, picks up a red white and blue sedan, and threatens to hurl it into New York Harbor unless policy makers do something about New York City’s traffic congestion problem.

As for the slogan on her pedestal: Even if we cede the point that congestion charging is a tax rather than a user fee, given that the majority of New York City households don’t even own a car, aren’t motor vehicles pretty well represented on New York City’s publicly-owned streets, bridges and highways?

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Pricing Friends and Foes Find Common Ground in Shoup

By Aaron Naparstek |
Matthew Schuerman at the Observer reports that New York City congestion pricing opponents sought to commission UCLA urban planning guru Donald Shoup to do a study of New York City’s parking policies. Shoup declined their request. Presumably, congestion pricing opponents hoped a Shoup study might show that New York City could solve some portion of […]

Fact Remains: No Congestion Pricing = No Federal Funds

By John Kaehny |
Last week, the parking garage industry-funded group Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free issued its latest salvo against congestion pricing. The report begins: Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free proposes a cost-effective, efficient, fair and practical alternative plan that will address the problems posed by congestion in New York City and exceed the guidelines imposed by the […]

Traffic Relief Advocates: Meet Your Opponents

By Aaron Naparstek |
Front row, left to right: Councilmember Melinda Katz, Councilmember Leroy Comrie, Councilmember Helen Sears, Councilmember David Weprin, Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free spokesman Walter McCaffrey,  Ray Irrera from the Queens Chamber of Commerce is behind McCaffrey, Joe Conley of Queens Community Board 2 and John Corlett from AAA. (Photo: Aaron Naparstek) In response to the Partnership for New York City’s report, […]

Resolved: More Traffic Congestion & Automobile Dependence

By Aaron Naparstek |
Brooklyn City Councilmember Lew Fidler and a small group of his outer borough colleagues have put forward Resolution 774 "calling upon the Mayor of New York City to oppose the institution of any form of congestion pricing." The resolution is based on a March 2006 report commissioned by the Queens Chamber of Commerce that was, […]

Debunking the Attack on Congestion Pricing

By Aaron Naparstek |
As The Politicker’s Azi Paybarah reported yesterday, the anti-traffic relief group, "Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free" re-released its report, "Congestion Pricing in the Central Business District: Let’s Look Hard Before We Leap." Commissioned by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the study calls into doubt the benefits of Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed congestion pricing scheme, with some […]