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Robots Against Congestion Pricing

5:56 PM EDT on March 27, 2008

A Streetsblog reader on the Upper West Side of Manhattan tells us that he just received an anti-congestion pricing robo-call on his home phone. No word on whose voice was being used, who is funding it, or what districts are being called. This much we know: 

I just received an automated call opposing congestion pricing.

I wasn't able to record or write down the message (I was in the middle of another call), but the gist was that the money from congestion pricing would go to the MTA, and "you know how trustworthy they are" (paraphrase from call). The script also cited the recent decision by the MTA to pull back on the $30 million in improvements that were promised with the fare hike as evidence that we shouldn't trust the MTA and, therefore, congestion pricing.

The call concluded by urging calls to "your Council member" to vote against congestion pricing. I did call my Council member in response, but urged her to vote FOR congestion pricing.

If you are the recipient of one of these automated calls, shoot an email to tips@streetsblog.org and give us whatever additional details you happen to catch.  

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. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.

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