Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Albany Reform

Looking for a New State Legislator? Try Craigslist.

By Aaron Naparstek | Apr 17, 2008 | 30 Comments

Upset about the way your State Assembly rep voted on congestion pricing? Here’s a novel approach to finding a new one: Craiglist. While Manhattan’s Richard Gottfried was one of the few state legislators who supported congestion pricing, at least one Chelsea resident appears to be in the market for a new Assemblyman. And why not? […]

Reforming Albany, Step 1: Get on the Ballot

By Ben Fried | Apr 14, 2008 | 11 Comments

Time to storm the capitol. If you know someone who believes in livable streets and is pondering a run for office, here’s an encouraging piece of information: It only take 500 signatures to get on the Democratic primary ballot for a State Assembly seat. The signature requirements [PDF] are posted on the Board of Elections […]

Help Wanted: Legislators Needed to Fix Broken Capital

By Ben Fried | Apr 14, 2008 | 28 Comments

Can’t wait for someone to challenge Shelly Silver, Deborah Glick, Hakeem Jeffries, Joan Millman and other members of the Albany crew that didn’t allow congestion pricing to even come up for a vote? Neither can the New York Times. In a scathing editorial published on Saturday, the Times issued a call for change in the […]

Bloomberg: Expect Some Tweaks to Pricing Bill

By Ben Fried | Mar 28, 2008 | 13 Comments

This morning, the Mayor’s office praised the introduction of a congestion pricing bill in the State Assembly. At the end of the statement, Bloomberg drops a hint that the bill on the table is in for some fine-tuning: We look forward to working with the Assembly, the Senate, the Governor and the City Council to […]

Silver Introduces “Courtesy” Pricing Bill, Wants a Millionaire Tax

By Brad Aaron | Mar 27, 2008 | 15 Comments

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver introduced a congestion pricing bill yesterday, but was quoted as saying "we have a long way to go" before it clears his chamber. The Times reports that Silver, introducing the plan "as a courtesy to the new governor," agreed not to "block" it "in exchange for some version of the new […]

Paterson Backs Pricing, Introduces Bill in Albany

By Ben Fried | Mar 21, 2008 | 9 Comments

David Paterson is going to do right by his old State Senate district after all. New York’s new governor settled any doubts about his position on congestion pricing this afternoon, introducing a bill that follows the recommendations of the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission. The Daily Politics has the scoop: "Congestion pricing addresses two urgent concerns […]

Show More Stories