Port Authority
Streetsblog Basics
Corzine Ratchets Up Interstate Bickering
For months, New York legislators have insisted that New Jersey drivers pay a bigger chunk of the congestion fee than the pricing plan called for. Now that the pricing bill includes such a provision (which still doesn't satisfy Speaker Silver), New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is crying foul. The amendment he objects to stipulates that the Port Authority contribute $1 billion to the MTA capital plan, or else drivers who
cross Hudson River tolls pay a bigger portion of the congestion fee.
April 2, 2008
$1 Billion From Port Authority Not Enough for Shelly Silver
On Saturday night, the congestion pricing bill in the State Senate was amended to include exemptions for low-income drivers and cars with handicapped plates. As expected, the changes also stipulated a way to make New Jersey drivers pay "their fair share." In the amended bill, the Port Authority is required to contribute $1 billion to the MTA capital plan, or else drivers who use the Authority's Hudson River crossings will get a smaller pricing fee offset.
March 31, 2008
Bloomberg: Expect Some Tweaks to Pricing Bill
This morning, the Mayor's office praised the introduction of a congestion pricing bill in the State Assembly. At the end of the statement, Bloomberg drops a hint that the bill on the table is in for some fine-tuning:
March 28, 2008
Sadik-Khan Set to Testify at City Hall
Streetsblog's Ben Fried reports live from this morning's City Council congestion pricing hearing:
March 24, 2008
Bloomberg Says There’s No Reason Pricing Shouldn’t Pass
Mayor Bloomberg (far, far background) at the Battery Park City Ritz-Carlton this morning
March 19, 2008
Council Members Want “Blatantly Unfair” Toll Credit Corrected
The Post had a short item today, which we've linked to a couple of times, reporting that members of the City Council have sent a letter to Mayor Bloomberg asking for changes in the congestion pricing proposal that would raise fees for New Jersey car commuters or have the Port Authority commit more funds to the MTA.
March 4, 2008
Interstate Access, Plenty of Parking at the “Green” Airport
During his State of the State address, Governor Spitzer claimed that his administration is "turning Stewart Airport into an economic engine for the Hudson Valley and an environmental model for the world: the very first carbon-negative airport." In this morning's New York Times, we see the Port Authority, touting SIA as an air congestion reliever for metro NYC, making similar claims about the airport's green credentials.
January 29, 2008
What Will It Take for Assemblyman Kellner to Vote for Pricing?
Two weeks ago, State Assemblyman Micah Kellner submitted a report to the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Commission [pdf] detailing his concerns about the two pricing plans in the TCMC's interim report. Kellner's district encompasses both of the congestion zone's proposed northern boundaries, running from 60th Street to about 90th Street, and from 3rd Avenue to the East River, including Roosevelt Island. He has consistently said that he and his constituents support "the concept of congestion pricing," while objecting to several of the specifics in the actual plans.
January 28, 2008
The Power of Moses: Please Wield Responsibly
An op-ed piece by Eleanor Randolph in today's New York Times finds yet another lesson in the current re-examination of Robert Moses's legacy. Randolph looks at the enormously powerful entities, usually known as authorities, that Moses left behind: "public-private hybrid[s] that can collect fees, take on debt and build things with little government interference."
February 14, 2007
Are Port Authority’s Airport Expansionists Flying Blind?
The top brass over at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are patting themselves on the back about the PA's plan to take over Stewart Airport near Newburgh, NY. "The region clearly needs additional capacity for air travel," Anthony
Coscia, the agency's chairman, was quoted as saying in the New York Times. "It's undeniable. This is intended to remedy exactly that
problem." If the deal goes through, Stewart, 60 miles north of New York City, will become the region's fourth major air hub.
January 25, 2007