Congestion Pricing Debate Continues In New York

A proposal to charge drivers $7 for entering Manhattan below 60th Street, previously rejected by Mayor Bloomberg, is being floated again by a diverse group of a civic and community groups.

2 minute read

November 28, 2006, 7:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


The new group expects to release a revamped study in early December that will analyze the cost of clogged streets, estimated at $12 billion to $15 billion a year. A related study done with Environmental Defense, a national environmental group, will look at the environmental costs of excess traffic and at the potential for congestion pricing to reduce traffic and thereby cut air pollution and, as a result, illnesses like asthma.

On Nov. 14, about 50 people from a coalition of 125 civic and community groups gathered on the steps of City Hall to ask that Mayor Bloomberg consider a series of measures to reduce traffic.

Environmental Defense has gone so far as to hire the public relations and marketing firm Dan Klores Communications to help fashion a campaign that will spread the congestion pricing message.

The coalition is led by Transportation Alternatives, an organization that promotes mass transit and works to make streets more welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists. It includes neighborhood groups like Sustainable South Bronx and biking advocates like the FreeWheels Bicycle Defense Fund, which works to aid bicyclists arrested in the mass bike rides known as Critical Mass.

One of the most outspoken opponents of congestion pricing in New York has been David I. Weprin, a City Council member who represents some neighborhoods in eastern Queens that are far from subway lines and where residents with jobs in Manhattan are more likely to drive to work.

He said congestion pricing amounted to an unfair tax on residents in those areas, many of whom can ill afford it.

"The potential for causing hardship to people who rely on their cars in boroughs other than Manhattan is too great to try to implement congestion pricing at this point," Mr. Weprin said.

Friday, November 24, 2006 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.