Jun 6, 2007 7:35 pm US/Eastern
Bloomberg Takes Congestion Pricing Fight To Albany
Mayor Has Some Allies, But It Appears Spitzer On Fence
by Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Feeling congested? Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing a plan that could cost you.
AP
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Mayor Mike Bloomberg (file)
AP
So far, it looks like the Mayor Mike Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan is moving forward, and it may become reality sooner than you think.
The city's congestion pricing plan seems to be picking up steam, but Bloomberg has a big "at-bat" coming up on Friday, when he gets his first chance to publicly lobby the state legislature.
"You can't keep waiting," Bloomberg said Wednesday.
For Bloomberg, it's a squeeze play.
He needs the governor and the state legislature to approve his plan to charge motorists $8 to drive below 86th Street before session ends on June 21, so he's making his case for clean air.
"The children are going to the hospital to be treated for asthma at four times the national rate," Bloomberg said. "We are wasting an enormous amount of time which has a serious economic impact sitting in traffic."
There's also the money factor. The mayor said he needs approval now in order to get a $500 million federal grant for his three-year congestion pricing pilot program.
Is Albany ready to sign on to Team Bloomberg?
Here's where the key players stand now:
*Bloomberg will make his pitch this Friday.
*Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver may or may not catch the ball after Bloomberg throws his fast ball
*Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno is on deck, waiting to see what happens Friday.
*And Gov. Eliot Spitzer is likely to score one for the team, but is unsure when he'll come to the plate.
Sources told CBS 2 the governor supports the program in theory, but thinks there may be too many unanswered questions to pass a bill in the next few weeks.
Bloomberg, however, remains unabashedly optimistic.
"I always have confidence in everything," Bloomberg said. "Sure, of course, you always go in thinking you can get something done."
Spitzer is meeting Thursday with federal officials to see if the city can still get federal funds down the road. Meanwhile, the city is circulating a draft congestion-pricing bill, telling people they are willing to negotiate. Aides wont say what they're willing to negotiate. Maybe it will be a player to be named later.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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