Bruce Schaller

Today: Dueling Congestion Pricing Press Events

State Assembly Member Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) is releasing his report on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing proposal on the steps of City Hall today at 2:00 pm. Billed as "the first thorough, independent, and fair-minded" analysis (Apparently, the Partnership for New York's two-year study wasn't thorough and Bruce Schaller's massive body of research wasn't independent enough for Brodsky).

By Aaron Naparstek

10:45 AM EDT on July 9, 2007

State Assembly Member Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) is releasing his report on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s congestion pricing proposal on the steps of City Hall today at 2:00 pm. Billed as “the first thorough, independent, and fair-minded” analysis (Apparently, the Partnership for New York’s two-year study wasn’t thorough and Bruce Schaller’s massive body of research wasn’t independent enough for Brodsky).

Brodsky’s report is — big shocker — “sharply critical” of the Mayor’s traffic relief plan and suggests that “it would impose an unfair tax on lower- and middle-income drivers,” according to the New York Times.

Prior to Brodsky’s press conference, Mayor Bloomberg will be detailing the mass transit benefits of PlaNYC and “the need for Albany to act by July 16th to secure up to $500 million worth of federal funds to implement short-term mass transit improvements and to set up a pilot congestion pricing program.” The Mayor will be appearing at the New York Building Congress forum, 1:00 pm, at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park.

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.