Manhattan's Congestion Pricing Stalled

Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan passed a City Council vote a couple days ago, but now has to make it past the state government in Albany before it can be signed into law. As of now, things don't look good:

The plan to charge drivers $8 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street met with stiff resistance from Democrats in the State Assembly on Wednesday night, suggesting that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has a difficult path ahead of him to persuade lawmakers to pass the initiative.

Assembly Democrats, who were weighing in on the proposal for the first time since the City Council handed the mayor a major victory by approving it on Monday night, appeared to be leaning heavily against the plan.

I think congestion pricing is a wonderful idea (up there in awesomeness with salt water taffy). The funds collected from charging drivers will be used to maintain and build out new mass transit. First will be buses, which are easy to deploy, and then eventually new subway lines can be built.

Congestion pricing is an investment in mass transit, which comes at both a lower financial and carbon cost than automobiles. Mass transit also implies a certain level of population density, which comes with other benefits such as reduced sprawl.

Here's hoping the plan passes!