Congestion-Pricing Plan Alternatives Are Considered

With a showdown over Mayor Bloomberg's traffic tax looming, a commission studying his congestion-pricing plan yesterday considered alternatives that could reduce traffic jams on Manhattan's busiest streets without charging motorists.

Increasing the cost of on-street metered parking to $4 an hour from $1, raising taxes on garage parking, setting up taxi stands, and reducing the number of government-issued placards were some options laid on the table yesterday.

Taxis make up about 30% of vehicle miles traveled in Manhattan's central business district, the deputy commissioner for planning and sustainability at the city's transportation department, Bruce Schaller, said. Setting up taxi stands would reduce hours taxis spend cruising with empty backseats.

Adding an extra surcharge to taxi rides that begin or end below 86th Street could help generate revenue and free up gridlock in the area, officials said.

The proposal drew some criticism from supporters of Mr. Bloomberg's congestion-pricing proposal, which would charge drivers $8 to enter and drive in most of Manhattan during peak hours.

"My assumption would be that if you raise the price of taxis, you'd get a lot more people getting in cars," the president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, Kathryn Wylde, said. Others argued that it would encourage people to switch to mass transit. A license plate rationing plan, under which cars would be prohibited from entering the central business district either every five days or every 10 days, could lead to a 6.2% or 3.1% reduction in vehicle miles traveled, respectively, Mr. Schaller said. To qualify for $354 million in federal funding, the city must achieve a 6.3% reduction in traffic congestion in 18 months. The commission has until the end of January to submit a recommendation to the city, according to its Web site.