It’s Time to Tell Your Reps to Vote for Pricing

The public hearings have been held, the commission has approved a plan, now the votes on congestion pricing are fast approaching. As the March 31st legislative deadline draws near, Transportation Alternatives and other pro-pricing groups are ramping up the advocacy.

TA_CP_ad_1.jpgYesterday, T.A. sent a message to supporters outlining its strategy. The ad to the right is part of a campaign directing New Yorkers to GetNYCMoving.org, a site run by the Campaign for New York’s Future where visitors
can tell their state legislators to support congestion pricing:

Last week, T.A. launched a major push for congestion pricing that plays
to our strengths. With only a handful of weeks before the legislative
deadline to pass pricing, we have rolled out full-page ads in 13 weekly
community papers in key areas of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Each of
the newspapers serves a neighborhood that is due for major traffic
reduction and transit benefits under congestion pricing. And to extend
our reach, dozens of T.A volunteers have taken to the subways with
flyers letting straphangers know exactly what congestion pricing
promises for their commute.

Update: So far, the form doesn’t include a way to contact City Council members, who vote on the proposal first.

  • Josh

    Who votes first? State legislature or City Council?

  • Jones

    T.A. also recognizes Environmental Defense and the Citizens Committee for NYC for sponsoring seven of the 13 ads currently running. This truly is a joint effort among among all our organizations.

  • You can get your Councilperson’s contact info here:

    http://www.cmap.nypirg.org/netmaps/MyGovernment/NYC/MyGovernmentNYC.asp

  • Spud Spudly

    I don’t believe for a second what that poster says about CP meaning more trains on the E and F lines. Maybe during off-peak hours, but during rush hour right now the Queens Blvd. line is already at capacity, with trains coming every two to three minutes. No matter how much money you have you could not put more trains on those tracks.

  • vnm

    Spud, Where on the poster does it say “more trains on the E & F lines during rush hour”? Why are rush hour users the only important ones?

  • Spud Spudly

    No, it doesn’t say on the poster that more rush hour trains would be added (which it couldn’t say because it’s not possible). But while rush hour USERS aren’t the important users, rush hour TRAINS are the important trains that are actually needed and which could actually offset any additional train usage that results from CP. So while the poster may technically be true, it attempts to paint a much rosier picture than what actually will exist in real life.

  • Niccolo Machiavelli

    Actually Spud, introduction of new communication and train control technologies will allow running many more trains during rush hours. Those new technologies (Communication Based Train Control) take lots of money and lots of time to introduce. Thats part of the MTA capital plan that needs feeding from congestion pricing or wherever.

    Regardless, TA should be applauded for agressively selling congestion pricing, putting their money where their mouth is. And, picking their nits serves no purpose especially stacked up against the rank intellectual dishonesty of the anti-CP folks and the hacks who back them who have repeatedly pushed entirely untrue positions on the paranoid voters.

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