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Surveys, Publications now on MicahKellner.net

August 5, 2008

I’ve introduced two important new features to this blog. The first is the ‘Publications‘ page, in which (slowly but surely) I am uploading all of my testimony, reports, press statements, and even some key letters that I have written so that you can see what I’m up to.

I’ve also created a new ‘Surveys‘ page. Knowing your opinion makes all the difference when I have to make key decisions. The current survey posted is specifically geared towards residents of Roosevelt Island regarding transportation issues. If you live on Roosevelt Island, I hope you will take the survey (the newsletter I am sending out in early September will also have the survey on the back page).

I also put up a link to the report that I wrote based on the results of my 2007 Congestion Pricing survey. Look out for more surveys to come and never stop sharing your thoughts and ideas.

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Video from “Traffic Congestion and the Future of Mass Transit: What’s Next?”

July 6, 2008

For those of you who missed the public forum I held on June 26, it was an excellent event. Here is some video of what you missed.

The event started with introductory remarks from each of our three panelists. First, Ted Kheel from the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility spoke.

Next, Gene Russianoff from NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign gave his remarks.

Finally, Jeffrey Zupan of the Regional Plan Association gave his introduction.

Then we took questions from the audience. The following clips show me reading an audience member’s question and different members of the panel responding to those questions.

QUESTION 1: Is the MTA fundamentally broken? Has any third party actually looked at the MTA’s books? And what can be done to make the MTA more responsive?

QUESTION 2: Why do we persist in linking funding mass transit with vehicle reduction?

QUESTION 3: Is is it realistic to expect progress out of Albany on things like bus lane cameras?

QUESTION 4: What can we expect from the federal government in terms of mass transit money in the future?

QUESTION 5: Should we consider changing to a system where MTA users pay based on the length of their ride?

QUESTION 6: How is congestion pricing working in other cities that have adopted it?

QUESTION 7: How do we change the culture of the way MTA riders use the system to make it more efficient (i.e. leaving from the back of the bus)?

QUESTION 8: Why are we investing in old technologies with the MTA?

QUESTION 9: How could free mass transit reduce vehicle usage?

QUESTION 10: If each of you could be the Czar of Mass Transit – what would your plan be?

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YOU ARE INVITED —– Traffic Congestion & the Future of Mass Transit: What Next?

June 12, 2008

I am hosting a special panel discussion on Thursday, June 26, 7:00 PM at the New York Blood Center, 310 East 67th Street. With the recent failure of the Mayor’s congestion pricing proposal, it is vital that New York continues to seek solutions to the problem of traffic congestion and meeting the mass transit funding gap. This event will bring together leading experts to discuss how to address the challenges posed by too much traffic and not enough funding for mass transit.

The three panelists are a distinguished group that I am proud to have participating. They are Theodore Kheel (Institute for Rational Urban Mobility), Gene Russianoff (NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign), and Jeffrey Zupan (Regional Plan Association)..

I hope to see you there. Space is limited, so please RSVP to my community office by calling (212) 860-4906.

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Congestion Pricing: The Public Deserved a Vote

April 24, 2008

As a supporter of congestion pricing, I was looking forward to having the opportunity to cast my vote in favor of the plan. I am disappointed that the plan never came to a vote on the Assembly floor.

While there were a number of flaws in earlier versions of the proposal – which I pointed out in my report on the issue – in the end the most serious concerns were addressed. I am particularly proud that three changes I advocated for made it into the final version of the bill: 1. Residential parking permits; 2. Dedication of any and all congestion pricing revenue to funding improvements in our mass transit system; and 3. Exemptions for people with disabilities who have disabled license plates or SVIP placards.

While it is true that there are thousands of bills every year that are not voted on – simply because there isn’t enough support – I believe that congestion pricing was different. After there has been intensive public conversation about a policy issue, the public deserves to see how their elected officials will represent them.

Traffic congestion remains a serious problem in New York City, and I remain committed to finding ways to reduce it and to better fund and improve our regional mass transit systems.

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