Sunday, April 6, 2008

Congestion pricing in NY.....

My opinion and you all know I have one... About Congestion Pricing in NY.

There should be a way to charge people to enter the city that don't need to, without punishing people who need to enter the city with their car in the performance of their jobs. Then maybe people who just feel like driving would think twice before they did.

Lets first take delivery trucks. Under the current plan they would be charged to enter the city. That is punishing the delivery companies, the businesses that get the deliveries and the people who buy from the shoppes. This of course would hurt the small businesses more than the big quys (as usual). So many blocks where parking was limited in certain hours for trucks with deliveries now allow parking for all the condos that have gone up. None of these places should have been allowed to be built with out providing enough parking space for the cars they would bring.... but that's a rant for another day.

Then, what about repairmen? These guys (and gals) help keep the city working. A lot of them take their tools and parts in their own cars because they don't need a truck. These people shouldn't be punished for having to go to work.

My husband says: "How do you enforce this?" Well, I guess one way might be something on the drivers license. If you have to drive into the city to perform your job you would get a type of license, maybe like an easypass you could wave at the toll booth to go free.

Now to those people who drive to the city because its more convenient for them to drive, or the tourists to want to drive. These people should be charged to come into the city at certain times. These people are impeding people from working and clogging our street for their own comfort. If they had to pay maybe they would think twice about doing it.

But now my conundrum. These people will still want to go into the city, how the hell are they suppose to do it?!? Our subway and bus system is over crowded, dirty, and un-reliable.

So... My solution to all this? (and yes I do have one)...

Make the subways and buses a place people want to be and use. The advertisements in the subway are maintained better than the subway itself. "If you build it they will come" is a famous saying that I think applies to everything. I'm sure all of these cameras in the subway catch people throwing garbage, harassing other riders and vandalizing property but its never enforced. If these people were fined that would raise the money needed to maintain it.

OK OK /rant

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