Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s ambitious dream to remake New York City streets with an elaborate plan for congestion pricing died today in a private conference room on the third floor of the State Capitol. NYT CityRoom | previously
not in and of itself, but the plan has/had some MAJOR flaws. take a look at Michael Sorkin's critique of one of the plan's byproducts - the accompanying surveillance infrastructure (check the "previously" link above).
AP.
Being a Brooklyn born boy, i am of course sensitive to criticisms of Manhattan elitism being forced on the Outer Boroughs. Yet, aren't some of the concerns of such critics (such as the lack/or quality of transportation links in these parts, one of the issues the congestion charge were "suppose" to go towards alleviating?
What to speak of the environmental or public benefits.
Finally, if the concern is about Big Brother.
I certainly can get onboard with protests based on CCTV saturation as a by product. But isn't this happening in spite of the implementation of this charge or not? It seems as if both here and in England city centers are becoming more monitored "public space" without the real anonymity such spaces use to provide?
i'm pretty sure, as sorkin says, cctv was hitching a ride on the congestion pricing plan (not happening anyway, as you suggest). sure, there are cameras now, but they're privately owned and independent of eachother. the congestion pricing plan would've included the creation of a robust infrastructure of government owned and operated surveillance equipment.
still, this is only one issue with the plan that was proposed.
while i'm in agreement with the big ideas of PlaNYC, the congestion pricing plan put forward by the bloomberg administration was hugely flawed. it's a good idea that should've been developed better.
AP...
I guess i figured something was better than nothing. Even a flawed plan.
But then i am not going to be directly affected by either the pros or cons of any such plan. So my opinion is not as directly of importance.
There have been many critics of th eLondon plan to, but it seems to have done wonders (relatively speaking) from what I have heard/read.
My major problem with the idea of congestion pricing is that it gives the impression that the government thinks we're all driving in our cars into manhattan just to be a nuisance. The reason we need to drive into the city is that we need to be there. I don't wake up on a tuesday morning and suddenly think to myself 'I think I'll drive my gas-guzzling SUV into midtown... just to clog traffic. That'll show 'em!'
Granted, transportation links in the area are weak at best, but they do function. I have no experience commuting from the Brooklyn/Queens side of the island, but from NJ pretty much all we get is a meager network of trains, some run by NJ Transit and the PATH. The problem with these is that you either have to be in Newark or Hoboken or someplace similar to take them directly into Manhattan. All of the outer suburb trains (with the exception of the Dover line, which runs Midtown Direct service daily, and the NE corridor line) either stop at Newark Broad St. or Secaucus, and require a train change to get into Midtown. If congestion pricing was going to go through, it would have required a major revamping of the area's transportation links.
I think the working class people should be banished to live underground, in a subterrainian network of tubes and tunnels where they can do the work to keep the above ground city for the well to do smoothly operating and free of congestion. And to keep them happy we will let them eat a few rich people now and then.
11 Comments
Booo!
Silver is a f**k.
Is it elitist to want to improve public health and public transportation?
not in and of itself, but the plan has/had some MAJOR flaws. take a look at Michael Sorkin's critique of one of the plan's byproducts - the accompanying surveillance infrastructure (check the "previously" link above).
it's not elitist, the elite has just convinced the masses that it is.
effing dumb ass electorate.
AP.
Being a Brooklyn born boy, i am of course sensitive to criticisms of Manhattan elitism being forced on the Outer Boroughs. Yet, aren't some of the concerns of such critics (such as the lack/or quality of transportation links in these parts, one of the issues the congestion charge were "suppose" to go towards alleviating?
What to speak of the environmental or public benefits.
Finally, if the concern is about Big Brother.
I certainly can get onboard with protests based on CCTV saturation as a by product. But isn't this happening in spite of the implementation of this charge or not? It seems as if both here and in England city centers are becoming more monitored "public space" without the real anonymity such spaces use to provide?
i'm pretty sure, as sorkin says, cctv was hitching a ride on the congestion pricing plan (not happening anyway, as you suggest). sure, there are cameras now, but they're privately owned and independent of eachother. the congestion pricing plan would've included the creation of a robust infrastructure of government owned and operated surveillance equipment.
still, this is only one issue with the plan that was proposed.
while i'm in agreement with the big ideas of PlaNYC, the congestion pricing plan put forward by the bloomberg administration was hugely flawed. it's a good idea that should've been developed better.
AP...
I guess i figured something was better than nothing. Even a flawed plan.
But then i am not going to be directly affected by either the pros or cons of any such plan. So my opinion is not as directly of importance.
There have been many critics of th eLondon plan to, but it seems to have done wonders (relatively speaking) from what I have heard/read.
My major problem with the idea of congestion pricing is that it gives the impression that the government thinks we're all driving in our cars into manhattan just to be a nuisance. The reason we need to drive into the city is that we need to be there. I don't wake up on a tuesday morning and suddenly think to myself 'I think I'll drive my gas-guzzling SUV into midtown... just to clog traffic. That'll show 'em!'
Granted, transportation links in the area are weak at best, but they do function. I have no experience commuting from the Brooklyn/Queens side of the island, but from NJ pretty much all we get is a meager network of trains, some run by NJ Transit and the PATH. The problem with these is that you either have to be in Newark or Hoboken or someplace similar to take them directly into Manhattan. All of the outer suburb trains (with the exception of the Dover line, which runs Midtown Direct service daily, and the NE corridor line) either stop at Newark Broad St. or Secaucus, and require a train change to get into Midtown. If congestion pricing was going to go through, it would have required a major revamping of the area's transportation links.
I think the working class people should be banished to live underground, in a subterrainian network of tubes and tunnels where they can do the work to keep the above ground city for the well to do smoothly operating and free of congestion. And to keep them happy we will let them eat a few rich people now and then.
i want to live underground...
Continuting on the 'underground mutants' theme...
Gotta love Futurama...
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