Why Not Carpool?

[A Quinnipiac University poll released today reveals that almost two thirds of New York City voters are opposed to congestion pricing], the practice of charging drivers to enter midtown Manhattan. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today that the city should consider congestion pricing to help cut down on our incredibly crowded streets. But he was quick to add that he doubts the New York State Legislature would approve any such plan. I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the sidewalks are damn packed too—should we expect a strolling fee in the future?

About 62 percent of those who participated in the survey are against requiring drivers below 60th Street to pay a fee at rush hour, while 31 percent (the city’s curmudgeons) like the idea. Sixty-seven percent of respondents use mass transit to travel in and out of Manhattan, and 24 percent typically use a car, according to the poll.