Albany Reform

Brodsky Represents NYC’s Wealthiest Car Commuters

Here is a complete copy of Assembly Member Richard Brodsky's "Interim Report and Inquiry" into New York City's long-term planning and congestion pricing proposals. Brodsky, you may recall, is the powerful state lawmaker with the moneybag full of parking industry contributions.

By Aaron Naparstek

2:16 PM EDT on July 10, 2007

Here is a complete copy of Assembly Member Richard Brodsky’s “Interim Report and Inquiry” into New York City’s long-term planning and congestion pricing proposals. Brodsky, you may recall, is the powerful state lawmaker with the moneybag full of parking industry contributions.

Brodsky’s 20-page report concludes:

The Mayor deserves great credit for thinking seriously about the problems of congestion and inadequate mass transit funding. Congestion and capital mass transit funding are serious unaddressed problems which require action by state and city government.

But…

The congestion pricing legislation is not now in
a form which can be enacted.

And even though Manhattan-bound drive-to-work constituents in Brodsky’s Westchester district earn on average $176,231
annually—the highest of any New York county in the metropolitan area, Brodsky is actually looking out for the little guy…

The revenues raised by the Mayor’s proposal disproportionately and
unfairly target people of low and moderate income, especially those who
live in the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn.

Brodsky also says…

The City has no plan to improve mass transit prior to the
implementation of congestion pricing.

Forget that the entire point of getting state approval by July 16 is to win a $500 million grant from the federal government that would go towards immediate transit improvements, particularly to improve bus service in the outer boroughs.

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.