Assembly Democrats haggle over congestion pricing plan

Wake up, New York. Under Mayor Bloomberg's Congestion Plan, even drivers headed towards the outer boroughs from Brooklyn and Queens will have to pay the $8 toll. "So will taxi passengers. So will people who live in Manhattan and park there. So will car owners who don't have E-ZPass," writes Daily News reporter Adam Lisberg.


The Daily News reports on Congestion Pricing:

Under plan, N.Y. drivers entering Manhattan on bridges would also pay

By ADAM LISBERG
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Thursday, April 3rd 2008, 4:00 AM

Drivers heading into Manhattan aren't the only ones who will pay if Mayor Bloomberg's congestion-pricing plan becomes law.

So will New Yorkers heading from Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island to the rest of New York - or America. So will taxi passengers. So will people who live in Manhattan and park there. So will car owners who don't have E-ZPass.

The new fees have received little attention amid the frantic debate over whether to charge cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan below 60th St. between 6a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

In that area, though, cab rides would cost an extra $1, to help make taxis pay for their share of traffic tieups.

"If they have to charge to come past 60th St., the cab drivers aren't going to come here," said Kyle Manning, 40, a doorman who hails cabs at Bloomingdale's on 59th St. "It might ease traffic. But it'll be hard on the cab drivers."