Environmental Valuation & Cost-Benefit News

New York City traffic is a "very serious" problem, 59 percent of city voters say, while 31 percent say traffic is "somewhat serious," according to a Quinnipiac University poll released May 24, 2007.

But voters, including mass transit users, oppose 56 - 37 percent a congestion pricing proposal where drivers would be charged $8 to drive a car into Manhattan below 86th Street, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Manhattan voters support congestion pricing 62 - 29 percent. Voters in other boroughs are opposed to the proposal:
* 67 - 26 percent in The Bronx;
* 63 - 29 percent in Brooklyn;
* 61 - 32 percent in Queens;
* 69 - 26 percent in Staten Island.

By a 3 - 1 margin, 68 - 23 percent, New York City voters say they use mass transit, rather than a car, to travel into and out of Manhattan. Car drivers oppose congestion pricing 59 - 34 percent while mass transit users oppose it 53 - 40 percent.

"It's all but unanimous. New Yorkers think traffic-choked streets are a big problem. But Mayor Bloomberg will need every ounce of support from his 74 percent approval rating to convince New York City voters that congestion pricing is the answer," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"As on so many city questions, congestion pricing is Manhattan against everybody else. Most New Yorkers say it would impose an unfair charge on outer-borough drivers."

New York City voters split 45 - 46 percent on whether they agree with a principal assumption behind congestion pricing, that traffic costs them billions of wasted dollars every year. Manhattan voters agree with the premise while voters in the other boroughs disagree.

Voters agree, 59 - 36 percent, that congestion pricing would tax unfairly people who live outside Manhattan. Again, Manhattan voters are out of touch with voters in the other boroughs.

If there were congestion pricing, taxicabs should be exempt, voters say 56 - 39 percent. On other possible exemptions, New York City voters:
* Oppose 59 - 36 percent exemptions for personal vehicles;
* Oppose 70 - 26 percent exemptions for limousines;
* Support 49 - 45 percent exemptions for delivery trucks.

"Okay, let's assume we have congestion pricing. Should anyone be exempt? Taxi cabs, most say, but not private cars and, overwhelmingly, not the way the rich folks ride - limousines," Carroll said.

From May 15 - 21, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,018 New York City registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

The poll was disputed by the Campaign for New York’s Future, a coalition of organizations who support the mayor's PlaNYC 2030.

The Campaign charged that the poll failed to ask respondents if their views on congestion pricing would change if they considered that the initiative would improve public health by reducing air pollution, generate $31 billion to use for transit repairs and expansions, and reduce carbon emissions by 30%. The coalition added that the poll also failed to tell respondents that current tunnel and bridge charges would be credited against the congestion pricing, making $8 the total overall daily charge.

The Campaign said that in its own poll, conducted in April by the firm of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 70% of respondents were strongly or somewhat convinced to support the plan after learning of its benefits.

Quinnipiac University Polling Institute www.quinnipiac.edu
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1066
Crains New York Business www.newyorkbusiness.com
http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/FREE/70524003/1066