New Yorkers Might Not Be Ready For Congestion Tax

<p>A new poll shows that just 37 percent of New Yorkers support Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, though two-thirds of Manhattan residents support the idea.</p>

May 25, 2007, 9am PDT | Christian Madera | @cpmadera

"New Yorkers may hate the city's traffic but not enough to back a proposal by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to impose a toll on drivers in midtown Manhattan, according to poll released on Thursday.

Just 37 percent support congestion pricing, part of the mayor's plan to cut city carbon emissions by one-third by 2030, the Quinnipiac University survey said.

Under congestion pricing, an $8 toll would be levied on each vehicle entering parts of Manhattan during peak hours on weekdays.

Some 59 percent think traffic congestion is a very serious problem, and Manhattan residents support Bloomberg's plan by a two-to-one margin, the poll showed.

But fewer than one-third of those surveyed in the city's other boroughs -- the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island -- agree, with many saying congestion pricing would unfairly tax people who live outside Manhattan."

Full Story:

New Yorkers oppose proposed traffic toll - survey

Published on Thursday, May 24, 2007 in Reuters