Jul 1, 2007 7:24 am US/Eastern
Bloomberg Proposes Charge To Leave Manhattan
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Mayor Bloomberg's proposed congestion tax is getting even more controversial, with a new concept: Having to pay to drive out of Manhattan.
Bloomberg's latest proposal for motorists is the flip side of his plan to curb traffic by making drivers pay to enter the city.
Drivers who enter Manhattan below 86th Street would be charged an $8 fee, or the same to drive out.
The mayor's office said the proposed tax is aimed at encouraging all drivers to leave their cars at home.
Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, a key city official in creating the plan, said that the general idea is to get people to use their cars less - in any direction.
The plan requires approval from the state Legislature. Cameras and an E-ZPass system would record cars as they travel, and the fees would be in effect weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The fee would be imposed only once a day per vehicle; a person who drives into Manhattan and back out on the same day would be charged only once.
Trucks would also be charged $21 to enter or leave the zone.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
