The year was 2007, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg was
large and in charge. With his no-nonsense manner and drive to solve the city's big problems, Bloomberg took on one of New York’s great challenges: traffic. And he had on his team one of the most
impactful transportation commissioners ever, Janette Sadik-Khan, who served as the Commissioner of NYC DOT from 2007 to 2013. Sadik-Khan was known for her transformative initiatives aimed at improving
the city's transportation infrastructure, including the promotion of bike lanes, pedestrian plazas, and the implementation of the Select Bus Service.
To imagine the city New York would
become, Sadik-Khan traveled around the world, looking for urban solutions. London, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Paris and Amsterdam were among cities she visited as part of her broader efforts to study and
potentially adopt successful transportation policies from around the world for New York City. For example, Stockholm implemented a congestion pricing system in 2006, Copenhagen was known for its
extensive and highly successful cycling infrastructure, and Paris has been a leader in pedestrianization and public space reclamation.
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What Sadik-Khan imagined, along with the support
of Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, was a city that valued people over cars. Bloomberg proposed a congestion pricing plan in 2007 as part of his PlaNYC initiative. The plan aimed to charge
vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours, but was ultimately canceled in 2008.
In 2007, I was one of those drivers jamming up New York streets. I lived just
above 60th Street and drove daily to my office at 28th Street. Why? I have no idea. I had a car, and I parked on the street both at my office and at home.
The Bloomberg plan was a wakeup call.
I knew there was going to be a battle for parking as suburban commuters drove from Long Island and New Jersey and planned to park in the 70s and 80s, to jump on a subway for the last jaunt into
midtown.
So I decided to abandon my car. In fact, I sold my car and traded it for a dog. I missed my Mitsubishi Montero, but Louie -- a treeing walker coonhound--- was a better friend and
companion by far. And after a bit of an adjustment, it turned out the subway was just fine.
In 2024, New York City's congestion pricing plan, which was set to be the first of its kind in
the United States, was scheduled to start on June 30, and would charge vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street a toll to reduce traffic and improve air quality. On June 5, Governor Kathy
Hochul announced an indefinite pause on the implementation of congestion pricing, citing concerns over the financial recovery of New York City.
But one has to wonder if the political backlash
was more than Hochul could withstand. In the battle of the pedestrians versus the cars... this round goes to the drivers.