Wednesday’s Headlines: Today Will Be a Better Day Edition

Streetsblog: So, yesterday in the Daily News, PBA President Pat Lynch wrote an op-ed, urging that [the state] to exempt police officers from congestion pricing [when] congestion pricing tolls are created. You’re a supporter of congestion pricing, you’ve talked eloquently about its benefits for the environment, for congestion, for transit. Where are you on the idea of carve outs for police officers?

De Blasio: I think we have to look at all the different ideas that are being put on the table and decide through the panel that’s being put together to study what we want to do. Now, I would reflect and amplify a point that the governor’s made — when you go down the road of exemptions, you have to be judicious, because if you give too many exemptions of too many different kinds you won’t have the revenue left that is needed to address the crisis. We have a crisis in terms of global warming, we have a crisis in terms of congestion, we have a crisis in terms of the state of the MTA. And this plan, which I think is an exemplary plan, ... has to work for the good of New York City. So, there will be a process to look at different nominations. I’m not going to comment on each one. I’m sure you could raise other ones in the coming months, but there will be a deliberative process. But it will have to have some serious limits."