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Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Congestion Pricing Initiative has failed to garner much support from Councilmembers in Queens, so last week the mayor slightly amended the plan to calm lawmaker’s concerns that it will cause severe parking headaches in neighborhoods with subway stations convenient to Manhattan. He is also is stepping up his efforts by wining and dining influential councilmembers at Gracie Mansion, and working to convince them to vote yes on the bold proposal before time is up at the end of the month.

There’s just one problem – it doesn’t seem to be working.
Several councilmembers have criticized the initiative based on their belief that charging drivers to enter Manhattan will worsen an already difficult parking situation for neighborhood residents. They claimed that if congestion pricing passes, drivers will avoid paying the fee by driving to a nearby subway station and then park-and-ride into the city.

The mayor was joined by Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan last week to announce that the congestion pricing legislation to be introduced in the City Council and State Legislature will include a Residential Parking Permit program. The program is designed to give local residents priority for on-street parking in residential areas and to discourage park-and-ride activity by commuters. Specifics arrangements will be tailored by neighborhood to address specific needs, and restrictions
will vary based on neighborhood parking patterns.

In his weekly radio address Mayor Bloomberg touched on some specifics, “such restrictions could be strictly time-limited and still achieve their purpose. Say, for instance, that they were in force from just 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on weekday mornings. Doing that would effectively prevent almost all commuters from using the restricted spaces, because they’d have to move their cars during those hours or be ticketed. But the restrictions would be so brief that they wouldn’t unreasonably inconvenience drivers coming into the parking permit zone to shop or do business.”

At press time few councilmembers had yet to examine the changes fully, and therefore were hesitant to comment. Most community boards haven’t met since the changes were announced and had not voiced a position in response.
Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has been a vocal critic of the mayor’s plan from the beginning. In his comments, he was critical of the method Bloomberg is using, and faulted the mayor for holding residential parking permit measures over neighborhoods like a carrot.

He claims his constituents have long desired a residential parking permit program, a measure he strongly favors as well.

“Neighborhoods should get [permits] without having to swallow congestion pricing,” he said. “First of all, if any neighborhood wants residential parking permits they should get it. Residents shouldn’t have to need to bargain with the mayor or vote for his tax to get it. The mayor shouldn’t be bargaining with neighborhoods to get tax approved.”

Responding to questions over the mayor’s changes to the plan Avella said, “In no way changes my opinion of congestion pricing.”

Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside) remains in opposition of the plan, but struck a more conciliatory tone.

“There’s no question we need to reduce congestion, but we can’t do it on the backs of residents in the surrounding areas,” he said. “Finding parking in these areas is nearly impossible now, and will only get worse. Providing residential parking permits is a step in the right direction but only one of many steps I think the City needs to take before congestion pricing goes into effect. We need express buses, ferry service, taxi stands and more to make mass transit easy and reliable for all New Yorkers.”

Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) has spoken with the mayor about his concerns and remains skeptical. He has previously voiced the park-and-ride concern because he represents an area that would surely be affected.

“I’m still unconvinced it’s the best thing for Queens County,” Vallone said. “He can make it less distasteful and I’m open to listen.”

He continued by detailing his opposition to congestion pricing.

He referred to state allocation of transportation dollars as weighted unfairly, and said, he has a “philosophical problem to ask New York City residents to pay for something Albany should pay for and squandered away.”