New York State Senate squashes Bloomberg's traffic charging plan for NYC

Back in April we told you about New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg's plan to adopt a London-like anti-congestion fee for Gotham. Cars entering the area below 86th Street in Manhattan would be slapped with an $8 congestion charge. Gridlock is frequently crippling in this crowded midtown business district, so discouraging drivers with a surcharge was seen as a possible solution. Well, motorists can relax, at least for now. The plan has been put on the backburner.

The Times is reporting that NY state lawmakers shelved the fee bill in a session on Monday. It was apparently a very heated meeting, with Bloomberg allegedly losing any support he might have had right away. This setback is coming at a tough time for Mayor Bloomberg as he gears up for a possible Presidential bid. He has been trying to show his green side lately and getting this bill enacted might have earned him some carbon credits with those voters. But drivers can't celebrate just yet. Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, still thinks the bill deserves some study and has proposed sending it to a commission that would consider this and other alternatives before the Legislature discusses the issue again next March.

Thanks for the tip, Oluseyi!

[Source: New York Times, reg. req.]