We are creating this blog solely because Silver single-handedly killed congestion pricing in New York City.
Congestion pricing would have placed a charge on cars driving in Manhattan. The idea was to reduce traffic, clean the air, and generate funding for mass transit. By reducing pollution, it would have made jogging, biking, and other outdoor activities possible year round. It would have saved the lives of countless asthmatic children. Finally, it would have saved the New York City subway system, which is now $900 million in debt.
By killing congestion pricing, Silver will be responsible for countless deaths, and for reducing the quality of life of people throughout New York City.
Not sure who's behind this blog, but it's hard to argue with the message.
Now that congestion pricing is dead at the hands of a do-nothing, irresponsible legislature in Albany (expect a full diary on this soon to come), here is a political post-mortem.
WINNERS:
Richard Brodsky
Brodsky represents one of the wealthiest and most-automobile-centered districts in the state, and he pandered them proud. Brodsky has accepted over $16,000 from parking interests and today proved he is worth every penny.
Anthony Weiner
Anthony Weiner, along with Toney Avella, is the loudest congestion pricing opponent running for mayor. CP passing would have been disasterous for Weiner because if London is any example, it would have proved to be very popular in the end and his vocal opposition to it would have made him look incredibly short-sighted by the time 2009 rolled around.
Christine Quinn Despite CP's untimate failure, Quinn's sheparding it through the City Council was an impressive feat of political muscle. It shows she has respect within her caucus and throughout the outer boroughs that will make her formidable in the 2009 mayor's race, recent scandals notwithstanding.
LOSERS:
Michael Bloomberg
This is a serious blow to Bloomberg's long-term legacy. He was foresighted and innovative in putting CP on the map, but its ultimate failure is partially a fault of Mike's political skills. He framed CP as a non-partisan, common-sense solution, but he lost most of that moral authority with a $500,000 donation to the Senate Republicans in March. While this may have bought Bruno's support for CP, it alienated the Democrats in both houses of the legislature.
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver's entire rationale for being re-elected to represent his district was destroyed today. While almost all of the state has been grumbling and groaning for years at Silver's heavy-handed leadership tactitcs, back-door deals, and anti-reform stonewalling, his constituents could take solace in the fact that he was always able to bring home the bacon and get what they needed. Not anymore. Almost no legislative district had as much to gain from congestion pricing as Shelly's, between the insane traffic over Canal street, the lack of revenue to bring the Second Avenue Subway to Downtown Manhattan, and the truly horrifying asthma epidemic affecting the children in his district. Without the ability to pass pricing, Silver now represents the worst of both worlds for his district- an insular, secretive, anti-reform leader who either did not or could not flex his muscle to look out for his own district. If he goes down to defeat in September's primary, today's failure will be the reason.
Malcolm Smith
For a man who hopes to be the first Democratic Majority leader in more than a generation, he was conspicuously absent from this whole process. Unlike Jim Tedisco, his minority conference has enough votes in its respective house to matter when it comes to passing crucial legislation. His lack of of a public presence on this issue brings many questions on his ability to lead his caucus, and ultimately, the State Senate.
NEW YORK TAXPAYERS AND THE MTA
With no more pricing, the MTA is now projecting a $17 billion gap in its next capital plan Either the state and other interested municipalities will plug this hole with general revenue or debt, or the transit system will revert to it's old state of the 70's and 80's. Neither of these is acceptable. Additionally, money to fund a whole host of expansion projects is now in serious doubt.
Today is a sad, sad day for New York. Now, more than ever, we see how our calcified legislature has failed to support environmental innovation and public health for New Yorkers. Here's to hoping we can eventually get accountbility for this failure at the ballot box.
Day of all days, tomorrow I have jury duty. I may or may not be able to use my laptop while I'm waiting to be or not be selected for duty. So I'm posting this thread tonight.
The following image is of the so-called Triboro RX concocted by the Regional Plan Association and recently mentioned in Lee Sander's state of the MTA speech.
In that same speech, Sander noted that
China, spends 9 percent of its gross domestic product on infrastructure.Meanwhile, the United States spends less than 1% of its GDP. That is unacceptable.
Unacceptable indeed. Congestion pricing is one small but great way to start to reverse that trend.
Let's hope the legislature decides today to think globally and act locally.
While Gov. David Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno have embraced congestion pricing, the third man in the Albany power triangle, Sheldon Silver, the Assembly speaker, has been his usual reticent self. Worse, Mr. Silver has said that he would not put a congestion pricing bill to a vote until after the state budget, now officially late, is resolved, perhaps by the end of the week. That's cutting it close because the deadline for collecting $354 million in federal money to implement congestion pricing is Monday. Mr. Silver can do better.
Congestion pricing has been put through its paces, many of them dictated by Mr. Silver. At his urging, a commission composed of representatives of top city and state elected officials was appointed. It markedly improved on Mr. Bloomberg's plan. Mr. Silver also asked for the City Council to approve the plan first, providing cover for state legislators to follow suit.
Now it is Mr. Silver's turn. He needs to schedule congestion pricing for a floor vote this week while there is still time to meet the federal deadline.
Once again, Michael Bloomberg has defied public opinion polls and noisy skeptics, lined up bipartisan support from the Democratic governor and the Republican State Senate and won over city lawmakers in support of an idea that would have a profound impact in New York City.
And once again, his big plan-this time, to impose a toll on cars driving into midtown Manhattan-faces a immovable obstacle in Sheldon Silver, who often seems to be the most powerful politician in New York.
(snip)
Of the three people who actually control the state's unwieldy, anachronistic state government, two-Governor David Paterson and the Senate majority leader, Joe Bruno-support the plan. Mr. Silver, as is his wont, has not taken a clear position either way, instead expressing vaguely defined concerns about the details that are available while demanding more information about the aspects that have yet to be worked out.
In voting to endorse congestion pricing, the City Council recognized the plan for what it is: the biggest boost for New York mass transit in decades.
The Legislature must show the same wisdom. Albany lawmakers - notably Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Democrats - should approve pouring the billions of dollars that would flow from congestion pricing into transportation improvements.
Ball's in your court, Shelly. Hope you do the right thing, or you better be prepared to do a lot of 'splaining to your district come September.
The New York City Council did the right thing today and approved the Congestion Pricing Bill by a vote of 30-20, with one abstention.
I will write a much more detailed political analysis of congestion pricing once all is said and done on the state level. That said, today's vote was an impressive showing by Speaker Christine Quinn and I would say she is my prohibitive favorite for Mayor in 2009 at this point in time. Also of note, Alan Gerson and Rosie Mendez, whose districts overlap with Shelly Silver's, voted for it.
Paul Newell Calls for Sheldon Silver to Act on Congestion Pricing
Paul Newell today called for Sheldon Silver to stop pandering to special interests and stand up for the children in his own district by stopping his equivocating on congestion pricing. Newell, a lifelong Downtowner and community organizer, is challenging Silver in September's Democratic Primary for New York's 64th Assembly District.
"Sheldon Silver's continued fence-sitting on the issue of congestion pricing is endangering its possibility of passage, and with it, he is endangering the lives of countless children in the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Battery Park City. Congestion pricing is the best hope to combat the terrible epidemic of asthma that is gripping the children of our district and children all over congested parts of New York City. Speaker Silver's callousness to their needs is breathtaking."
Asthma is tolling a public health disaster on the children of the 64th District. News reports indicate that roughly 1-in-5 children enrolled in the P.S. 124 after-school program are afflicted with Asthma. An air sample taken by the Daily News last June found that the air on Canal Street at rush hour had 500,000 particles per cubic centimeter, the highest of any sample taken by that survey.
The 64th Assembly District includes the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, with the Holland Tunnel just a few blocks away. The one-way tolls on the Verrazano and the Holland Tunnel mean that tens of thousands of out-of-town trucks and private vehicles a day use Lower Manhattan as a thoroughfare to avoid tolls. By ending this free ride, Congestion Pricing would solve this problem immediately.
Newell went on to note that while only 2.3% of Lower Manhattanites drive to work in the congestion zone, "the vast majority of Downtowners use public transportation every day. Why is Silver so unconcerned about securing a long-term source of revenue for public transportation?" Newell continued "This is a vital public health and quality of life issue for the overwhelming majority of Downtown families. Sheldon Silver's absence on the issue exemplifies the broken system in Albany where a legislator's personal power alliances take precedence over the concerns of New Yorkers."
Citing Canal, Broome, Allen and Pike Streets, Division Street, West Street, Christie Street, and Delancey Street as examples of where "the levels of congestion, noise and air pollution are unacceptable" Newell asked "Of 150 assembly districts in New York, none benefits so clearly from Congestion Pricing as the 64th. What interests is Silver serving here instead of showing the leadership our community deserves?"
###
Supporting congestion pricing in the 64th AD is a no-brainer- some of the worst asthma zones are in that district, and its revenues will also be very strategically important in securing money to extend the second avenue subway to lower Manhattan. Yet, again, Shelly continues to take an important issue and subordinate it to being a bargaining chip in some political deal.
With Paterson and Bruno on board for pricing, Shelly is the last roadblock. I feel if he lets it fail, the voters in his district will remember this with a vengeance come September.
The New York City Council today engaged in a marathon of hearings on Congestion Pricing. After a daytime session, the Council is holding another hearing that started at 6 o'clock tonight, in order to accommodate the concerns of everyone with an opinion (you watching this process, legislature?)
Streetsblog is all over this like white on rice and has a good summary of the testimony of New York City Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan:
without congestion pricing:
*Western Queens will not see a 39% reduction in its most severe traffic jams and a 6.1 percent reduction in total traffic; will not get new bus routes from Middle Village to South Ferry in Lower Manhattan, and from Jackson heights to Penn Station; and will not get improved service on the Q60 bus route or 46 new subway cars that would increase service frequency on the E and F trains
*Western Queens may lose state-of-the-art train control on the 7 line that would allow trains to run faster and closer together for better, more frequent service
*North-central Brooklyn will not see a 22.1% reduction in severe traffic jams, 33 more buses on the B41 line, or more capacity on the C line
*North-central Brooklyn may lose BRT on Nostrand Avenue and upgraded PA systems on stations on the G line
*The northeast Bronx won't see an 8.3% reduction in severe traffic jams or three new express bus routes to Lower Manhattan
*The northeast Bronx may lose extension of BRT service to Pelham Parkway and upgraded service on the 5 line
*Staten Island won't see a 12.3% reduction in severe traffic jams or 33 new express buses
*Staten Island may lose BRT along Hylan Boulevard, 64 new cars for the Staten Island Railway, and a new Arthur Kill railway station
*Lower Manhattan will not receive a 32.3% reduction in severe traffic jams and a 6.4% reduction in total traffic, 33 new buses on half a dozen lines, or greater capacity on the E, F and C lines
Sounds like a lot of good stuff. Some Council Members are understandably justified in their skepticism of of the guarantee that the congestion pricing money will be reserved exclusively for transit. Upon a first read, the language in the bill sounds pretty tight:
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, all charges collected by the Department of Transportation of the City of New york [described in the previous sections] shall at all times be the property of the Metropolitan Transporation Authority and shall be paid to the traffic congestion mitigation fund of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority [except for money necessary to adjudicate violations, which will go to the NYC Dept of Transportation]
It sounds good, but the only problem is that money is completely fungible and with the congestion pricing funds being funneled into the MTA, it might just enable the State or City to cut their own contributions to the MTA by an equal amount.
The MTA's 2008-2011 financial plan assumes $614.9 million in subsidies from the state and local governments (mainly New York City and Nassau County), and an additional New York City subsidy exclusively for bus operations of $232 million. This is a total of $846.9 million.
If congestion pricing generates the most conservative estimate offered by the Traffic Mitigation Commission, the fees collected will be $387 million. Add that to the $354 million the Federal Government has offered in mostly bus upgrades to help expand transit options, that brings the first year's total to $741 million. So in order for the state and local government subsidies to be cut to mitigate the money from pricing, total subsidies would have to be cut by 87%. I don't see that happening anytime soon. For future years without the one-time federal infusion, the subsidies would have to be cut by 45.6%.
Keeping in mind that the most conservative estimate of pricing revenues is used and even the most irresponsible lawmakers would never make cuts to transit this enormous, it's pretty safe to say that adopting the pricing plan will result in a large net gain for transit projects and maintenance, even if the state or city do cut their contributions in these tight fiscal times.
Wonkster is reporting that Gov. Paterson has announced his support for Congestion Pricing:
In the first major policy decision of his very young administration, Gov. David Paterson has announced his support for congestion pricing and come up with a bill to move the controversial plan forward. Calling the governor's decision "tremendously helpful," Michael O'Loughlin, director of the Campaign for New York's Future, a coalition backing congestion pricing, said the bill would "give people something to work with" as they seek to win City Council and the State Legislature approval for charging people to drive in parts of Manhattan on weekdays.
In a statement, Paterson said he was taking this action because "congestion pricing addresses two urgent concerns of the residents of New York City and its suburbs: the need to reduce congestion on our streets and roads, and thereby reduce pollution and global warming; and the need to raise significant revenue for mass transit improvements."
Still no indication if Paterson is explicitly supporting the bill that surfaced in Albany on Wednesday. Regardless, this is a great development- sensible traffic policy may yet happen in NY.
The US Department of Transportation has announced that it will grant New York City $354.5 million to implement congestion pricing.
One of my favorite blogs, Streetsblog, breaks down the details:
$10.4 million to implement congestion pricing - These funds are dedicated to beginning congestion pricing south of 86th street, with a requirement to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the congestion pricing zone by 6.3%, which is achieved in the Mayor's plan. The City is also committed to provide $112.7 million for technology acquisition, matching the USDOT's spending on bus rapid transit (described below).
$213.6 million for bus facilities and other improvements - The grant will pay for the construction of the Jamaica and Charleston Annex bus depots. The MTA will purchase up to 367 new buses with funds already budgeted for the construction of the depots - as proposed in the UPA application to meet procurement regulations. In addition, the grant also pays for: constructing a bus lay-up facility, upgrading park-n-ride locations, improving pedestrian walkways to and from stations; and providing new technology at 223 intersections to better manage traffic flow. NYCDOT will construct an East River bus lane to decrease travel times.
$112.7 million to begin Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - A high speed BRT system will be developed in New York City. PlaNYC calls for BRT to begin in all five boroughs along major transit corridors which lack subway service.
$15.8 million for regional ferry service - Ferry service improvements will connect developing neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens with Midtown and Lower Manhattan.
$2 million for research - To support the West of Hudson Regional Transportation Alternatives Analysis/DEIS.
While this is less than the $500 million + that Bloomberg promised, this is still an anormous amount of cash and the State Legislature would be extremely imprudent to pass it up, especially since 92% of it would go to immediate and desperately-needed bus upgrades.
(I didn't call. It's that damn restraining order... - promoted by phillip anderson)
There was an explosion in Midtown Manhattan yesterday. I found out about it because 10 people were text messeging my cell to make sure I was ok - each with varying levels of fatalism about my prospect of survival (maybe they want my apartment? It's New York so who knows...)
As you've all heard the explosion wasn't caused by terrorism, it was an underground steam pipe constructed in 1924 that had too much cold rain water leaking on it, causing it to explode like Old Faithful-- except flinging more mud and some asbestos into the air. I know that the air has been declared clean but the dust and debris spat out from the explosion do contain asbestos and what with air movement and you know, gravity, I can image that the carcinogenic dust will get air-born and be inhaled endlessly till it's cleaned up. Remember when the EPA told the public that the air around Ground Zero was safe to breath - when it actually wasn't? You'll have to excuse me for being a bit concerned over whether the same thing will happen here.
I should probably explain this blog post's title. When chasms in the earth open up near Grand Central the media tends to report it. Even Fox. But what you won't see in the media by and large is a discussion of why it is that these accidents take place. Sure they'll explain how the explosion was caused by water hitting an antediluvian steam pipe but they just won't make the connection between the lack of investment in our country's infrastructure and things going kablooie. You see it takes money to keep any locality running. And localities get that money through our taxes.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is convening a meeting of New York City and suburban Assembly members at 2pm on Monday, July 16 downtown at 250 Broadway, according to a source familiar with details of the meeting. That's the very date that Mayor Michael Bloomberg had hoped Assembly members in Albany would agree on the congestion pricing legislation.
Because the lawmakers are not meeting in Albany as a legislative body, they can't possibly reach the official agreement that Bloomberg sought. Bloomberg has repeatedly said that July 16 is the deadline by which state lawmakers need to approve the plan in order for New York to qualify for $500 million in federal funds.
If Monday really is, as the Mayor and Bruno say, a "hard and fast" deadline, then it looks like congestion pricing just might be dead. At least the costs will not be subsidized by half a billion dollars in federal funds.
It looks as if we now have a pretty good idea of what is going to happen on Monday. Joe Bruno will definitely be bringing the Senate back for a one day special session and it appears likely that his chamber will pass, among other things, the bill to implement Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan.
And Shelly's crew? Well, they'll most likely be at the beach.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said in a radio interview this morning that the Assembly was not planning to return to Albany on Monday to act on Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan.
...
“Right now, we have no time specific to come back,” he said in an interview on WROW-AM radio in Albany. “I think we will come back before the end of the year in session, but I do not believe it will be next Monday. Next Monday I believe is an arbitrary date.”
...
But he also said that “there are a hundred questions” about the mayor’s plan, and added that ultimately some combination of the mayor’s plan and ideas from a recent report by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and a new bill from Assemblyman Rory Lancman would probably be “the appropriate thing for New York City.” Mr. Lancman’s bill forgos the congestion pricing and looks to other steps to relieve congestion.
If, as the mayor says, the deadline is "hard and fast", it would seem that the congestion pricing part of PlaNYC looks rather doomed. The plan would find a much easier way through the legislature with half a billion dollars in federal money in the bank.
If, as Shelly and Brodsky et al believe, the deadline is a bit more elastic, there yet may be some hope.
Regardless, Shelly ain't bringing his gang back to Albany on Monday. This special session is going to be a "one house" affair.
Things are looking increasingly grim for Michael Bloomberg's Congestion Pricing plan, or at least for the prospects for the plan snagging a huge chunk of federal money to help implement the plan.
First, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky has released a study that he claims shows that congestion pricing is unfair to middle class New Yorkers.
Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan is unfair to middle-class New Yorkers, says a study out today - as Albany obstacles threaten to derail the proposal.
"I could not recommend the bill presented to us. It doesn't do the things the mayor says he wants to do," said Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who heads a committee examining Bloomberg's legislation.
...
But Brodsky (D-Westchester) said the fee will hit outer-borough drivers the hardest, and that the bill Bloomberg sent to Albany doesn't guarantee the fees will be spent on construction.
Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx drivers make about 24% of the trips into the congestion-pricing area, but would pay 47% of the fees - even though their average salary is $46,000, the study says.
Manhattan drivers, though, would make 72% of the trips into the pricing zone and pay just 42% of the fees - even with a $74,000 average salary. Trips within Manhattan would cost just $4, and taxis would be exempt.
And now it's looking less and less likely that Shelly will bring the Assembly back for a special one day session next week.
Albany's atmosphere is so toxic that the Assembly probably won't return next week.
"I don't think it will happen," said Democratic Majority Leader Ronald Canestrari, D-Cohoes. "Realistically, we could come back in the fall, and that might be better."
Added Albany Democrat Jack McEneny: "I don't see how we could be productive in this poisoned atmosphere."
McEneny, Canestrari and others cited the bitter fight between Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, which escalated last week amid questions about Bruno's use of state aircraft and Bruno's allegation that Spitzer used State Police to spy on him.
...
Even if the Assembly were inclined to approve the plan, which is far from certain, the complex issue would still need to be negotiated.
Silver, said one insider, speaks daily with Spitzer and Bruno, but the feuding "really makes it harder, or really impossible, to get any deals. ... The sense is, no progress will be made until things calm down."
Despite what you may think, the fossils in the New York State Senate can move pretty swiftly when they feel like it. In an un-typically speedy and efficient fashion, a bill embodying Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 proposals has been drafted and introduced in the State Senate. Liz Benjamin at the Daily Politics has the scoop:
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno just announced via press release that the Senate has introduced Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 in bill form, which includes his congestion pricing proposal.
The bill has a number - S.6068 - but isn't yet available on-line. It is being sponsored by the fearless and intrepid Sen. Rules.
I was speaking about this last week with staff of a State Senator from Manhattan. They were convinced that it would be quite some time before anything of substance about the Mayor's plan would be seen in Albany. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one raising an eyebrow about just how quickly this bill came about:
What's fascinating here is how quickly this bill got drafted.
As recently as Monday I was talking to lawmakers in Albany who said they had not seen a whole bill from the Bloomberg administration, but rather pieces of a bill that had holes large enough to drive a delivery truck through.
As for the plan's most talked about provision, the congestion pricing initiative, The Drum Major Institute today released a report analyzing the costs and benefits of the proposal to New York's middle class. The report is titled, "Congestion pricing: Good policy for New York’s middle class" and it is well worth reading.
(So true. Then again, I like sweet corn... - promoted by lipris)
As the New York State legislature wraps-up their 2007 session some interesting bills have come to light, like the bill to make sweet corn the official state vegetable and a bill that will help ticket scalpers. Clearly this is the kind of legislation that keeps New York State residents up at night asking existential questions like "what role does sweet corn play in my life?" or "how far from a stadium can I buy re-sold Yankees tickets?". Well I guess if you are involved in the racing industry that scalpers' bill is a big deal but what about the rest of us? What's in the state's legislative hopper?
Last week DMI Fellow Maureen Lane wrote about a sensible welfare policy bill that has the potential to help move people out of poverty. So far it hasn't been introduced by the State Senate. DMI Fellow Mark Winston Griffith blogged about model anti-predatory lending legislation that New Yorkers for Responsible Lending is working to call attention to. The city is now waiting to see if the legislature will approve Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 including its congestion pricing proposals. The Working Families Party has been doing amazing work around the Working Families Time to Care Act which is their legislative priority this year. And as always, The Albany Project has been doing an incredible job keeping track of the legislative goings-ons.
Yet at the end of the day while the legislature is wrestling with the question of who gets to make a whole bunch of money selling tickets there really are serious problems that need to be addressed by the state government. Some of the issues New York is struggling to handle -- subsidy reform, what to do with criminals when they are released from prison, providing universal access to preschool and the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs -- are real challenges but they aren't insurmountable. In fact four localities around the country did tackle these battles with great success. Want to know more?
Now I know it's a cliche that the state legislature "doesn't do anything" and that's not even my point here. Simply that as they go about the business of the state not all issues are equally urgent and a lot of other parts in the country have implemented policies that New York can learn a lot from. Is that too much to ask? But in the meantime, "Gentlemen, behold! Corn!"
Well I guess if you are involved in the racing industry that scalpers' bill is a big deal but what about the rest of us? What's in the state's legislative hopper?
