Jam Plan Is Toast

NYC mayor's traffic-reducing proposal shot down, for now

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion-fee proposal, reportedly down to the wire on Monday, is now just down, period. The plan would have charged a fee for Manhattan-bound vehicles during peak hours, but the state Senate adjourned without voting on the measure after Democrats made it clear that they would vote as a bloc against it -- arguably just as much out of distaste for Bloomberg as opposition to the fee. Is NYC congestion pricing dead? Said one senator supportive of the plan, "It doesn't sound like it's alive, that's for sure." The state may create a commission to study the issue and suggest other options, which some hope will keep New York City qualified for $500 million in federal funding being offered to cities that implement a congestion fee pilot program -- but seeing as there will be no congestion fee pilot program, chances of getting the moola seem slim. And if the city doesn't get the funding, the commission will disband in October. Ah, the sweet smell of status quo.