Commission to Formulate Traffic Reduction Policy

What a week we have had in New York politics! On Monday the Mayor went to Albany to try to forge a deal with the state's power brokers to get approval on his congestion pricing plan (as well as many other environmental initiatives). With neither legislative branch even holding a vote on the matter and a Federal deadline for $500 million passing by, it seemed that the whole ambitious plan may have crumbled under the weight of Albany's inertia and political wrangling.

But lo and behold, there is some sort of deal that is shaping up to let the Mayor's congestion pricing initiative live to fight another day. Streetsblog has a good summary of where the politics stand:


1. Mayor Bloomberg does not have a "green light" to move forward with congestion pricing, nor has he been granted any new powers. The deal denies him the authority to impose a pricing charge until approved by the City Council and state legislature.
2. The feds may still yet give New York City congestion pricing start-up funds despite the missed Monday deadline.
3. The deal mandates a very specific timeline by which the process will move forward and a 17-member commission that may become an important forum for the congestion pricing and and broader transportation debate, good things could emerge.
4. Transportation policy and livable streets issues have moved to the top of New York City's civic agenda and will remain in the political spotlight for some time to come.
5. There are a ton of things that could still derail congestion pricing.

This is a moment that transportation advocates have been waiting for since the Rockefeller/Lindsey era which ended Robert Moses' grip on power. There is a chance to put into place the right infrastructure and the right supporting systems to make NYC's transportation system last another 100 years. It's the moment to put into place a transportation system that prioritizes moving people over moving automobiles. Congestion Pricing would create a virtuous cycle of new money for mass transit, a clear financial incentive to not drive to the most congested areas of the city and in effect put a price on the externalities of the automobile in dense urban areas.

But there is much more going on than just congestion pricing in NYC. The new Department of Transportation is starting to roll-out a whole slew of new ideas on street design to improve neighborhood quality of life and access for more sustainable modes like walking, biking and mass transit.

While the big stuff is sorted out by this new commission, community activists need to start thinking of different ways we can better use our streets than the simple and destructive facilitation of automobile driving.

Congestion pricing in NYC is a major fork in the path of US peak oil adaptation. Hopefully the "powers that be" will not fail the test of history, but instead take a bold step towards ending the pathological car dependence in US society.

Tahoevallylines.org ASPO article 374 Second Dimension Surface Transport Logistics Platform

Congestion pricing tends to zero in on locale; the massive demand for highway transport liquids begs a broader solution that maintains mobility. Easier understanding by the leadership electeds and corporate elects is to show an example that can be replicated in modern times. This is possible by examining the USA 1910-1960 transport model, including automobiles to be sure, but more importantly to our study, the role played by the comprehensive railway network in place until the 1960's.

USA standard gauge railway route miles maxed out in the early 1920's, at slightly over 400,000 miles of main & branchlines. Additional 100's of thousands of miles of electric trolley & interurban electric railway lines laid the groundwork for city suburb expansion in the 1900-1950 period, being overtaken by paved roads in the roaring 20's. This is a beginning of understanding where we can go from here; we must deliberately & incrementally select dormant rail corridor for rehab, locale by locale, renewable linked, re-establishing victuals warehousing at the community level, as trucking is impacted by Peaking Oil.

The USA has, in every state, identifiable railway branchline corridor that can form the basis for rehab projects. As well, mainline railways running through smaller cities & towns can add freight handling facilities as formerly existed before containerization brought about centralized rail/truck container depots. Where sidings and spur tracks made for boxcar loading & unloading, container methodology can permit rail freight interface with through trains pausing on a passing siding to permit load/unload of containers. Trucking takes over local pick-up & delivery as was former practice. Post 911DAY imperatives include comprehensive inspections at each of these sites, for containers moving into the system.

While Mayor Bloomberg emphasizes focused fees on congested areas, a wiser approach is to find ways to avoid spreading congestion by making it uniformly costly to have personal transport. This said, gas rationing from restraints on oil supply will accomplish the same result. This writer is more concerned with maintaining Societal & Commercial Cohesion via rail; "Second Dimension Surface Transport Logistics Platform" as trucking falters. The agricultural need for diesel will surely get in the way of long haul trucking in the first weeks of shortages.

The various political staffers, financial analysts and other persons of influence following this issue will do well to quietly & with due diligence, refresh their superiors with information regarding former railway corridor suitable for rehab in their respective purview. Additionally, certain strategic highway corridors lacking former rail footprint will need assessment as to creating all-new railway line(s) and associated freight handling infrastructure enroute. (peakoil.net) article 374 is a talking point initiator.

Mayor Bloomberg is taking on the Peaking Oil Tarbaby with a peashooter -more is required, as this particular adversary is deceptively camouflaged and will easily overwhelm the good Mayor and others attempting such half-measures. Hopefully The Oildrum veterans like Prof. Goose will encourage rail-savvy members to look at these particulars mentioned; in their respective locales, if not on the page...

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