Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Congestion Pricing

Albany’s Choice… or Ours

By Charles Komanoff | May 7, 2009 | 5 Comments

Thank Albany. By segmenting the 30-35 percent transit fare increase into three stages, the legislature has opened the door for a broad-based campaign to put an end to fare hikes and institute genuine transportation reform. Hike 1, the 10-12 percent rise in subway, bus and rail fares set to take effect within a month, is […]

Does the State Senate’s MTA Plan Pass Environmental Muster?

By Ben Fried | Apr 22, 2009 | 3 Comments

Where’s the Assembly’s eco-warrior when you need him? The Municipal Art Society came out with a report yesterday urging New York State to start analyzing greenhouse gas emissions in its environmental review process (SEQRA). MAS argues that the policy could be adopted without changing existing laws, which raises an interesting question to ponder on this […]

Another Bad Transit Plan from the State Senate

By Ben Fried | Apr 21, 2009 | 17 Comments

So, just in time for Earth Day, the State Senate has proposed an MTA rescue plan that’s bad for both business and the environment. Here’s a refresher on the basics: The plan calls for an eight percent hike in transit fares and existing tolls, and a higher payroll tax (85 percent of the non-hike revenue […]

Needed: A Better Way to Sweeten the Ravitch Plan

By Charles Komanoff | Apr 16, 2009 | 26 Comments

Wondering how the revised version of the Ravitch plan compares to what’s come before? Here’s a look at the tweaks proposed yesterday by the Ravitch Commission: East and Harlem River bridge tolls of $2.16 each way with EZ Pass, $2.50 without. 50-cent taxi fare surcharge. A higher tax rate on parking in Manhattan. Revenue from […]

Whither the MTA: Beyond the Failed Stopgap

By Charles Komanoff | Mar 27, 2009 | 14 Comments

This week’s MTA vote won’t just cost New Yorkers 25 percent more per ride, it will also be costly in lost time. Using the Balanced Transportation Analyzer (BTA), I estimate that the fare hikes and service cuts which begin June 1 will: Add an average of 6 percent more waiting and travel time to bus […]

Beyond Ravitch: Still Time for a Bolder Plan

By Charles Komanoff | Mar 10, 2009 | 25 Comments

As Albany lawmakers ponder which of a half-dozen Ravitch plan variations they might support, the possibility looms that no solution may come in time. New Yorkers could see their fares rise 25 percent while service is cut back — a twin catastrophe in this tough economic time. Yet no big new ideas are being advanced […]

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