Manhattan Borough President candidate Brian Ellner has called for a London-like congestion charging system to bust traffic in the Big Apple.  “Congestion pricing is a win-win for Manhattan and the entire City,” Ellner said. “Taking vehicles off the road will drastically improve the quality of our air, which is among the worst in the nation and a direct contributor to record rates of asthma in our children. And it will create a revenue stream to pay for maintenance and upgrades to public transportation.”  Ellner did not specify how the system he envisions would work. London uses cameras to record the license plates of vehicles entering the central charging zone.  New York has tolls at many of the bridges and tunnels entering Manhattan, but not at city-owned bridges crossing the East and Harlem Rivers.  Ellner inaccurately said that all of the existing tolls are flat-rate rather than congestion-oriented ― Port Authority (NJ-NY) crossings charge more at rush hours, including weekend afternoons. 

It will be interesting to see whether Ellner can inject congestion and transportation into the crowded BP race.    Mayor Bloomberg flirted with East River bridge tolls early in his term but never took a clear step to plan or implement the policy. State Assemblymember Scott Stringer, another candidate for borough president, says if elected he will seek to close Central Park loop drives to all traffic and push for rapid bus services.  Others in the race cite support for mass transit expansion projects and cycling improvements.  Ellner is a member of Manhattan community board #2.  Most of his eight opponents for the Democratic nomination are current or former elected officials.  www.brianellner.com

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