Sheldon Silver

Liz Benjamin has the latest scoop on congestion pricing legislation in Albany: The third version of a bill dealing with congestion mitigation in the city was introduced yesterday in both houses of the state Legislature. The Assembly and Senate are scheduled to return to Albany Thursday to take up this new bill – and nothing … Continued

Below is a summary of the congestion pricing deal struck this afternoon by Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Leader Bruno.

With congestion pricing stalled in Albany gridlock, what's next? What immediate measures can New York City take to reduce traffic congestion without having to go through Albany to implement them? How else might New York City reduce traffic congestion while raising a bit of money for transit, bicycling and pedestrian improvements? Back in May, Transportation Alternatives executive director Paul Steely White suggested that parking policy reform in this Gotham Gazette essay:

Mayor Bloomberg had harsh words for New York State's Democratic leadership at today's press conference in Brooklyn. Here is an abbreviated transcript of some of the question-and-answer period with the press:

Erik Engquist at Crain's says a potential deal is in the works that would nix Gov. Spitzer's call for campaign finance reform and give Albany legislators a long-sought pay raise in return for congestion pricing approval.

Then: "Honk No" to Mayor Bloomberg's plan. Now: Stop honking and pay $8. Bloomberg's West Side stadium foes are now his congestion pricing friends.

Westchester Democrat Richard Brodsky has emerged as the State Assembly's leading critic of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan. Later today Brodsky will release a report on the steps of City Hall characterizing the Mayor's congestion pricing plan as a regressive tax that puts most of the burden on poor and middle-income drivers (and ignoring the fact that only 4.6% of New York City residents drive to work in Manhattan's Central Business District and most poor and middle-income New Yorkers use transit).

Streetsblog interviewed DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at 40 Worth St., Monday, June 18. Photo: Brad Aaron

The Campaign for New York's Future has released a new poll, a glossy mailer that'll go out to 380,000 families, and a television advertisement focusing on the health benefits of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030. The Daily Politics has a nice write-up: