Aug 14, 2007 7:13 pm US/Eastern
Mayor Sky High, But Congestion War Just Beginning
A Lot Has To Happen Between Now And Implementation
by Marcia Kramer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Mayor Michael Bloomberg chalked up a big win Tuesday when the feds said they would give the city $354 million if the legislature green lights congestion pricing. But will Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver block the mayor's desired slam dunk?
"I think this is a major victory," Bloomberg said Tuesday after being congratulated by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
It was a big day for the mayor. After months of wrangling he did get the feds to give the city hundreds of millions if congestion pricing is a go.
New Yorkers seemed unprepared for the news, with many sounding off on Bloomberg's plan.
"I drive myself and I wouldn't want to pay money just to come in from Brooklyn to go to work," one irate driver said.
Added another: "That's awful. I don't agree with it."
Still others said the entire idea is completely unfair.
Then there was Silver, the one man who has some say over whether the mayor's plan ever becomes reality.
"While there has been support for the mayor's plan, there has also been very strong opposition," Silver said.
And that's the ultimate question. Will opposition ultimately derail a Bloomberg plan crafted so carefully that even Tuesday's announcement from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation made it seem like a mayoral slam dunk -- like Mike's way or the highway.
"If you really read the grant there's no question there has to be some form of congestion pricing," Bloomberg said.
The grant does say any alternative plan has to use "pricing" to reduce congestion.
"Pricing can be lowering the price of subways in peak hours, lowering tolls on certain bridges in no peak hours." Silver said.
And that traffic has to be reduced by 6.3 percent
"You can reduce traffic 6.3 percent by stopping trucks from coming into the city on Wednesday. Next question," Silver said.
Spitzer, a supporter of the plan but also an Albany realist, put it this way:
"I think it's going to be a very complicated discussion."
And by the way, getting the federal grant is just the start of the battle.
First, a state commission has to come up with a traffic mitigation plan. Then it must be approved by the City Council and then the State Legislature.
And with many facing election in November 2008, it's going to be too hot a potato for some lawmakers to grab on to.
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