NY Aims to Keep Vehicles Out of Downtown

NY Aims to Keep Vehicles Out of Downtown



Aug. 2007 - Getting around in New York City is 
about to become easier for pedestrians and transit passengers, but more 
expensive for drivers who want to enter Manhattan's downtown business 
district. On Monday, New York was awarded $354 million in federal funds to 
implement a congestion pricing program that aims to keep more cars and 
trucks out of the core downtown area. 
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters selected five metropolitan areas 
as the first communities to participate in a new $848.1 million federal 
initiative to fight traffic gridlock. As the nation's largest city, New 
York is receiving the lion's share of the funds. 
Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Seattle also were chosen to receive 
smaller amounts for their traffic programs after a nationwide competition 
to select winners from among the 26 cities that applied to join the 
Department of Transportation's Urban Partnership program. The program aims 
to cut traffic congestion using approaches like congestion pricing, 
transit, tolling, and teleworking. 
New York: 354.5 Million 
"We've worked very hard to secure these funds, and this is a major victory 
for the people of New York City," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
      Gridlock in New York's Times Square  
"By fulfilling the terms of the agreement, we will be able to create new 
and better mass transit options for commuters all across the city before 
congestion pricing takes effect. 
"Now we'll work with the State Legislature and City Council to seize this 
golden opportunity to use Federal funds to reduce congestion, improve air 
quality, and keep traffic tie-ups from choking our economy." 
On Earth Day, Mayor Bloomberg introduced his pilot congestion pricing 
program as part of a larger plan for greening New York City called PlaNYC. 

The pilot would establish congestion pricing to manage traffic in the 
Central Business District. On weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm, trucks would be 
charged $21 a day and cars would be charged $8 to enter this area, in 
addition to premium parking fees charged by city and private lots. 
The federal funding announced Monday can cover either the Mayor's pilot 
congestion pricing program or an alternative plan that achieves the same 
reductions in traffic congestion, within the same time frame, and also 
uses a pricing system. 
All parts of the federal funding agreement are contingent on the New York 
State Legislature approving the pilot congestion pricing plan, or an 
alternative pricing mechanism, within 90 days of the opening of the next 
legislative session, and making it effective no later than March 31, 2009. 

If the State Legislature approves a pilot congestion pricing plan or an 
alternative pricing mechanism, the New York Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority will receive $184 million for new bus facilities and the city 
will receive $112.7 million to establish Bus Rapid Transit in all five 
boroughs. 
The city will also receive $29.3 million for pedestrian and traffic signal 
improvements, $10.4 million in grant money to implement congestion 
pricing, $15.8 to improve ferry service, and $2 million to conduct 
research. 
Governor Eliot Spitzer said, "Congestion pricing holds immense promise for 
the future of New York City. It has the potential to mitigate the City's 
severe congestion and its associated economic costs while also improving 
public health by reducing harmful pollutants." 
Minneapolis: $133.3 Million 
The $133.3 million transportation award to Minneapolis is especially 
timely after the collapse of the I-35W Bridge on August 1 that killed nine 
people, with four others still missing and presumed dead.

"Minneapolis needs solutions that work now, not years and years from now," 
Secretary Peters said. "We are committed to working with leaders in the 
Twin Cities to make sure that traffic snarls don't bring this region to a 
standstill." 
As part of Minnesota's plan, High Occupancy Toll lanes will replace High 
Occupancy Vehicle lanes along I-35W from 66th Street to Burnsville 
Parkway, speeding commutes into the Twin Cities while giving drivers new 
options for getting home faster. 
Shoulder lanes will operate as toll lanes during congested periods and 
will charge tolls based on the levels of traffic. 
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will use $13.2 million of the 
funding to purchase new buses and equipment, Secretary Peters said. 
The Minnesota plan includes upgraded technology throughout the area to 
improve mobility for motorists and transit operators and give drivers 
real-time traffic and transit information. In addition, leaders plan to 
shift an additional 500 workers to either a flexible work schedule or to 
telecommutes. 
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said, "Our state is especially grateful to 
our federal partners for their continued assistance as we continue the 
recovery process and begin rebuilding the I-35W bridge." 
"I'm very grateful to the broad-based, bi-partisan coalition of mayors and 
legislators from throughout the I-35W corridor who helped us make this 
happen," said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "It also brings us a giant 
step closer to our vision of dedicated bus-rapid-transit on I-35W south of 
downtown." 
Seattle: $138.7 Million 
A different bridge figures prominently in the federal grant to Washington 
state.

The federal government will provide $138.7 million if Washington will 
impose a toll on the old Highway 520 floating bridge, Secretary Peters 
said. Spanning Seattle's Lake Washington, it is the longest floating 
bridge in the world. 
Tolls would be part of a comprehensive effort to reduce congestion and to 
raise money toward a replacement bridge, she said. 
The grant includes $86 million for toll equipment, enforcement cameras, 
message signs and telecommute programs. 
There would be $41 million for new King County Metro Transit buses, plus 
two park-and-ride lots at south Kirkland and Redmond. An additional $12 
million is included to add passenger-ferry service from Vashon Island to 
Seattle. 
The Lake Washington Urban Partnership application was jointly submitted by 
King County, the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State 
Department of Transportation. 
"Our success securing this grant illustrates the truly regional effort 
needed to replace the Highway 520 Bridge," said King County Executive Ron 
Sims. 
Bob Drewel, executive director of the Puget Sound Regional Council, said 
the work is just beginning. "This announcement is a great start, but it is 
not a finish. We are now first in line for this federal funding but to 
secure it we'll need to work through the complexities of the project to 
secure these funds." 
San Francisco: $158 million 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents the district that includes San 
Francisco in the House of Representatives, applauded the Metropolitan 
Transportation Commission’s success in securing $158 million to reduce 
traffic congestion in the city and throughout the Bay Area.

"This is a great victory for the Bay Area," Pelosi said. "The nine-county 
Bay Area is the second most congested metropolitan area in the country, 
affecting more than seven million residents. In order for the area to 
remain a vital engine for economic growth, we must address this growing 
problem." 
This grant centers on the San Francisco Doyle Drive congestion pricing 
program. It will use tolling to manage congestion on Doyle Drive, the 
elevated access road connecting the Golden Gate Bridge to downtown San 
Francisco. 
Drivers on Doyle Drive will be charged a fee according to the level of 
congestion on the road. The fee would be collected electronically through 
overhead sensors, not at a separate toll plaza, says the San Francisco 
Transportation Authority. 
The revenues will be used to rebuild the roadway to earthquake safety 
standards, improve parking access to Golden Gate Transit ferry services, 
and provide better transit service. 
"Smart" parking management and payment systems will be installed in the 
Civic Center and downtown areas, including new parking meters that accept 
credit cards. 
The grant will also support SFgo, the city’s real-time traffic information 
and management system to smooth traffic flow, provide transit priority at 
signals, and manage traffic incidents; and will fund development of a 
telecommuting/ride-sharing program for municipal workers. 
Miami: $62.9 Million 
With its award of $62.9 million, the state of Florida intends to begin 
converting the underused and unpopular High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on 
Interstate 95 into an electronic High Occupancy Toll highway. 
The Florida Department of Transportation will reconstruct and restripe the 
21 mile stretch of I-95 between Interstate 395 in downtown Miami and 
Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale to allow 12 total lanes of traffic. 
Two lanes in each direction will have tolls, while four lanes in each 
direction will still be free of charge. Toll prices will vary depending on 
the volume of traffic in the express lanes. 
All five federal grant agreements require approval of the respective state 
legislatures. 

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