Jun 13, 2007 7:38 pm US/Eastern
Congestion Alternative: Subway, Bus Rides For $.50
Fares Would Drop During Rush Hour As Opponents Look To Halt Bloomberg Pricing Plan
by Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Just when the future looked bright for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed congestion pricing plan that would charge motorists to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan during rush hour, opponents to the plan have come up with a different idea that would not only prevent the plan from going through, but would also lower bus and subway fares to just 50 cents during rush hour.
The pressure has been mounting on the legislature to pass the mayor's proposal, but when lawmakers are under pressure they tend to get creative. Yesterday, powerful Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver accelerated that process when he told WROW radio in Albany that there are other ways to handle congestion besides the mayor's proposed plan.
"There have been some ways thrown out, just limiting when people can come in, limiting the hours without the need for fees in many instances," Silver said.
When Silver questioned the need to charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan's business district, he wasn't just whistling in the wind. CBS 2 HD learned that a number of alarmed lawmakers are floating creative ways to ease traffic and reduce pollution without charging a congestion fee.
The first idea would involve dropping the price to ride the bus or subway during rush hour from $2 to 50 cents.
The second idea is to increase bridge and tunnel tolls to $6 between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., as well as 3 p.m. through 7 p.m. Under that plan, tolls would be reduced to just $2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A third idea is what one lawmakers calls "Odds Your In." That idea proposes odd number license plates can enter the business district on odd number days and even number plates can enter on even numbered days. The odds and evens system would also work for truck deliveries, who could also limit deliveries on certain streets to certain days of the week.
Deliveries could also be limited to the nighttime only.
The ideas continue to pour in as Mayor Bloomberg is pressing hard to sell his plan. Today he offered to reduce truck fees from $21 to $7 for trucks that are energy efficient. He also secured the support of several powerful unions including the teamsters.
The pressure is expected to get even more intense in the coming days. The mayor wants congestion pricing greenlighted before the legislative session ends, which gives him just eight days to bring the boiling hot topic to a simmer.
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