Pol Wants To Entice You With Carrots: Congestion Plan Quibbling
State and city legislators slammed Mayor Bloombergs congestion pricing plan at a press conference held this morning on the steps of city hall. In the [blazing heat], they tried to highlight practical flaws of the proposal, most notably the fact that subways lines are already [stuffed to capacity](http://www.newyorkpress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=91255136) without additional diverted traffic.
Queens Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who came fully prepared with fresh veggie props, said the city should focus on incentives to encourage the use of public transportation instead of punishing those who drive. Its all stick and no carrot, he said, awkwardly waving a carrot in the air (pictured here). He suggested using the [federal money] that Bloomberg hopes to receive to fund other projects like improving the transit system and promoting telecommuting and carpooling with tax incentives. He said the mayors plan would simply redistribute congestion instead of solving it, and declared it nothing but a $2,000-a-year tax on middle class New Yorkers. And we know no one likes that.
Several representatives from the outer boroughs also argued that the plan favors Manhattanites at the expense of other-borough residents. Queens City Council Member Leroy Comrie said that the plan offers no benefit to residents of Queens, the Bronx or Brooklyn, and said that improving the city shouldnt just be downtown. He suggested giving voters who dont all have subway stops outside their doorsteps the chance to weigh in on the bill before it is decided in Albany.
Queens City Council Member Tony Avella had some of the harshest words, saying that the plan was rushed and poorly conceived and arguing that nobody would choose to drive to Manhattan if they had a better option. Nobody drives into Manhattan for the pleasure of it, he laughed, after offering the following message to Bloomberg: Mr. Mayor, recognize the plan for what it isa pipe dream.
The Mayors office will surely issue a rebuttal shortly, but we assume it will sound something like [this].