Fate of congestion pricing in Albany

BY PETE DAVIS

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 8:08 PM EDT

After City Council approval, congestion pricing rolled to Albany, but its final passage still has some potential roadblocks.

Many insiders believe that the plan will likely meet its greatest opposition in the Assembly where Speaker Sheldon Silver has not offered much public support for congestion pricing.

Queens Assemblymember Rory Lancman reaffirmed Silver’s statements that the legislature would not take up congestion pricing until it had reached a budget agreement.

“Because the City Council sat on it for two months … doesn’t mean we are going to stop the budget process for two or three days.”

In addition, Lancman believes that the Council’s vote will have little effect in Albany.

“I haven’t seen any movement towards supporting congestion pricing at all,” Lancman said. “I really don’t know if the council’s vote will change the dynamic up here. Everyone expected the council to vote for it.”

The plan, which would charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street during the weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in order to reduce congestion, improve air quality in the area and raise money for mass transit, has also undergone a number of last minute changes.

After fielding concerns from legislators last week, lawmakers amended the bill to give exemptions to low income and handicapped drivers as well as ask the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to contribute $1 billion to the MTA in exchange for New Jersey drivers only paying regular toll fees.

However, if the Port Authority did not agree to provide funding, New Jersey motorists could be charged an additional fee to enter the congestion zone, a policy that is not sitting well with Jersey Governor Jon Corzine.

“Unless this plan treats all drivers fairly, I am prepared to pursue legal action to protect New Jersey commuters from this outrageous action,” Corzine said in a statement.

The City Council voted in favor of the plan on March 31 by a 30-20 margin, after Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spent much of the past few weeks lobbying hard behind the scenes to try to convince members to vote in favor of the plan.

“It is now completely clear that congestion pricing has the strong backing of the people of New York City,” Bloomberg said after the vote.

However, not all of the City Councilmembers agreed with Bloomberg’s assessment.

“There’s no question that if this had been left up to what’s right or the people’s choice - without lobbying one way or another - it would have decidedly been defeated,” said Queens City Councilmember David Weprin, who has been a strong opponent of the plan since its outset.

Queens Councilmembers voted 9-5 against the plan, and the majority of Brooklyn and Staten Island members rejected the plan. However, all 17 members from Manhattan and the Bronx voted in favor of congestion pricing.

The Legislature would likely have to approve the plan by Monday, April 7 in order for the state to receive $354.5 million in federal funding.

How Queens Councilmembers voted

NO

Joseph Addabbo

Tony Avella

Leroy Comrie

Dennis Gallagher

James Gennaro

Melinda Katz

Helen Sears

Peter Vallone Jr.

David Weprin

YES

Eric Gioia

John Liu

Hiram Monserrate

James Sanders

Thomas White