New York State Governor Elliot Spitzer, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver reached an agreement on Jul. 19 on the Mayor's congestion pricing proposal that would levy a fee on certain commuters driving into Manhattan's central business district during peak traffic hours.  This consensus is a crucial first step that puts the city closer to qualifying to receive up to $500 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to deal with its traffic congestion and pollution issues.

Congestion pricing is one of many proposals set forth in PlaNYC 2030, the Mayor's policy initiative unveiled late last year to address the projected population growth in the city during the next 25 years.

Click on the names of the following elected officials to read their statements about this agreement:

Gov. Elliot Spitzer

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce released the results of a Member survey about this issue at its Congestion Pricing Forum on Jul. 12, in which business owners expressed their support for congestion pricing to reduce environmental pollution. Click here to read more.