Statement From NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg On Final Recommendation From Traffic Mitigation Commission

January 31, 2008 -- "The plan that the Commission is recommending today meets our goals of reducing congestion, cutting carbon emissions and providing much needed funds to improve mass transit for millions of New Yorkers.

The Commission has done a thorough and thoughtful job. They've taken testimony from hundreds of residents, community leaders and civic organizations. They've held dozens of public meetings and have analyzed mountains of data.

Although the final recommendation varies from our original proposal, I accept it. We will work with our partners in the Council and the State Legislature, and with Governor Spitzer, to make sure that we enact a proposal that meets our goals by March 31st.

New York cannot afford to walk away from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds and a guaranteed revenue stream for the MTA's capital plan - which is necessary if we're going to continue to grow and thrive - and we can't afford to do nothing about traffic choking congestion, which is costing our City billions and polluting our air."

Source: New York Governor