Bloomberg's Congestion Pricing Plan: What Went Wrong

A detailed look at Mayor Bloomberg's ill-fated congestion pricing plan reveals a series of serious missteps by the normally adept mayor in dealing with the state legislature.

2 minute read

July 20, 2007, 8:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


While Mayor Bloomberg denounced lawmakers for failing to even take up his plan, suggesting that they lacked "guts" and "just does not seem to get it," a look at the "strategic missteps" made by his administration helps explain why the plan died in Albany on Monday, July 16.

"Rather than engaging either Gov. Eliot Spitzer or legislative leaders from the beginning, operatives said, Mr. Bloomberg and his aides sprang a complex proposal on the Legislature at the end of its session, seemed unprepared to answer questions or revise details, missed opportunities to sway legislators, and then used the deadline to apply for federal financing as a bludgeon to shove the plan through."

It "showed how Mr. Bloomberg's operation, increasingly adept at promoting the mayor's national reputation, has not yet learned to navigate the city's business through the politics of Albany."

"Mr. Bloomberg has defended his efforts as a bold move to secure as much as $500 million in federal aid and help solve the city's traffic problems." However, the unfolding events clearly showed that the opponents of the plan, especially Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver who refused to convene a special session of the Assembly, were not influenced by the threatened loss of the funds.

Perhaps the biggest blunder may have occurred with the inception of the plan, unveiled as the centerpiece of his environmental agenda on Earth Day in April. {See related link}.

"When you want to change a fundamental pattern of living for a lot of people, you have to educate them," said Richard Ravitch, a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority who supports congestion pricing. "They have to believe that it's going to be better than what they have, and you can't do that in two months."

Wednesday, July 18, 2007 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.

5 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

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, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

6 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

7 hours ago - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square