We've said it before -- and, we'll say it again: Congestion pricing sounds smart, but it won't work without having a state-of-the-art mass transit system in place.
Which means it's doomed to failure.
And though politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg continue to preach the virtues of congestion pricing for New York City -- it will cut down on traffic; it will cut down on pollution; it will raise money to fund mass transit -- a recent poll of New Yorkers found that most state voters are against congestion pricing, unless politicians ensure that the fees raised will be dedicated to building a better mass transit system for New York.
Those are the findings of the latest Quinnipiac poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University. The poll found that even though supporters claim the pricing plan would raise billions of dollars to fund mass transit in New York City, most voters said that would not support the plan unless there was a guarantee that those millions were dedicated to funding mass transit. And, in a recent "Issues" column in its latest Car & Travel magazine, the AAA said that it "cannot help but call the plan what it really is: a creative way to ensure a continuous stream of transit revenue" -- while having the potential to actually disrupt traffic and worsen congestion.
In fact, the AAA is dead-set against congestion pricing.
And so, apparently, are the voters.
All that said, we think it's time New York City officials -- Hizzoner included -- go back to the drawing board and attempt to figure a way to put the cart before the horse and not the other way around. Because, right now, the entire plan is simply a way to raise revenue for New York City while doing zero to ensure better traffic flow or a reduction in pollution. It demeans drivers. And, quite frankly, ignores their rights.
Which is a shame. Because with some real effort -- some real forethought, some real planning; some real development of our mass-transit infrastructure -- congestion-pricing would actually be a good thing for Manhattan and residents of the metro-area. Right now, it's not.