Congestion leads to stress, accidents, higher asthma rates, reduced air quality & loss in productivity & economic activity. As Public Advocate I would be in favor of revisiting Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan, as long as money raised would go towards transportation improvements in our city & small businesses weren’t disproportionately affected by new fees. I would only support this model if residents already paying tolls on bridges were credited for those tolls, similar to my “One City, One Toll” proposal on my campaign website (http://www.alex2009.com/news/mar1.htm). As Public Advocate I would work with the Department of Transportation & my five borough traffic and transportation task force committee’s to plan & complete major road improvements, better timing of lights, introducing “smart lights” to our city, HOV lanes for buses and motorists, approving more right turn on red signs in the outer boroughs and looking at ways to encourage more New Yorker’s to use public transportation (or make public transportation available) instead of their cars. Congestion is also caused by construction schedules that conflict with busy traffic times and the lack of rapid response to accidents by emergency officials – two areas I would focus on as Public Advocate to try to improve.

4. Air quality is an important environmental and public health issue, and has a direct link to vehicular congestion. I take it seriously as one more reason to promote public transportation and bicycling. For cars already on the street, we can more strictly enforce laws on the books regarding idling and blocking the box. There is room for the Public Advocate to educate people about these laws, and to positively reinforce the benefits of following them. The anti-idling law in particular should not be seen as a merely punitive measure; if followed, it ultimately saves drivers the money they would otherwise spend on gas. The search for parking accounts for a lot of traffic, particularly in already-congested areas; we need to implement studies that have been undertaken regarding proper rates for parking meters, and make rates more flexible to reflect the desirability of a given parking spot. Parking meters will always be a source of annoyance to motorists, but we must understand that parking spaces are metered as a deterrent to long-term parking and the congestion it causes. The abuse of government-issued parking placards in Lower Manhattan is also a real issue, and I have given legal advice to individuals who were subject to police harassment after photographing such abuses.

As mentioned previously, we should revisit congestion pricing and increasing funding for mass transit initiatives such as a BRT system. In our policy paper, "Our Next Economy: THE Creative City" (available at http://MarkGreen.com/THE_Creative_City), we proposed the use of technology to provide commuters and businesses with live information regarding traffic delays and service changes. If a train sent you a text message or a visual on-platform message that it was running 15 minutes late you might stay at work improving economic output. Increased information of traffic delays would also improve the flow of traffic throughout the City.

The Public Advocate can monitor the progress of that Department of Transportation’s plans to reduce congestion in downtown Brooklyn, ensure that the plans are followed through on and work with stakeholders for ways to improve upon the plans.

We will also investigate the practice of trucks turning down neighborhood streets illegally, and work to find a way to stop it.

Details on our Transportation 2.0 initiative are available for you to comment on as part of "Change for New York: 100 Ideas for a Better City" (available at http://www.markgreen.com/100_ideas_part_1_html).

The high level of traffic congestion on our City’s streets, highways, and bridges clearly poses a detriment to the health and quality of life of all New Yorkers. I am open to many proposals, including a payroll tax, a toll on the East and Harlem River bridges set through legislation at the same amount as the subway fare, or increases in car registration fees to generate revenue for mass transit and incentivize fuel efficient vehicles. We must also increase park and ride access for commuters who live far from transit, and encourage alternative transportation options including bicycling. I am also a vocal supporter of Congressman Nadler's plan to reconnect New York City to the nation's rail freight system through the construction of a rail freight tunnel under New York Harbor. The Cross Harbor Tunnel would provide a method for efficiently transporting freight in and out of the City, and would significantly ease our dependency on the trucks that clog our roads and pollute our air.

Even though it was unpopular in my district and my borough, I was proud to vote for congestion pricing, a plan that would have reduced congestion in Manhattan's central business district and surrounding neighborhoods while addressing air pollution, reducing carbon emissions and providing a dedicated funding stream for the MTA. Anyone who voted against congestion pricing should be called to answer for that vote, and the city should revisit the proposal. We can also target congestion by eliminating parking permits for city employees and preventing misuse of permits currently in circulation, and by tracking parking needs in areas of rapid growth. For new developments, we should include parking needs in the Zoning Resolutions, and limit parking for areas near mass transportation.
Classifying blocking an intersection as a parking violation, in addition to being a moving violation, was a good step, and we need to make sure blocking the box is strictly enforced. The city should also ramp up enforcement of bus-only lanes – reserving these lanes for bus-only usage can limit pollution and encourage bus ridership by speeding up bus times. Increasing penalties for both of these violations will help address gridlock and improve air quality. I’ll pursue these measures as Public Advocate.