N.Y. governor halts Manhattan traffic congestion pricing plan

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she is indefinitely delaying the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan just weeks before the plan was to take effect.

The controversial plan would have had drivers pay $15 to enter Manhattan south of 60th street. Commercial vehicles and trucks would have paid more. The governor reportedly had concerns about affordability and the potential impact to the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

If implemented the congestion pricing plan would have been the first of its kind in the U. S. Some cities overseas, including London and Stockholm, have implemented similar plans.

The revenue raised by the plan was to be spent on critical transportation upgrades and maintenance. It would have helped improve the city’s subway system and improve other public transit options in the city and in the suburbs.

Hochul said she will continue to support transit improvements even without the dedicated funding from congestion tolls.

Since early 2020, Americans have been forced to sequester themselves in their homes with outdoor activities, in most cases, being the sole respite for social distancing. And many of people are going back to the basics with a quintessential outdoor activity: biking. Bike sales absolutely skyrocketed during the pandemic, growing by 69% in 2020.

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Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]

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Nelson Mandela Park green space in Rotterdam

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The Weekly Show, Apr 29, 2021: COVID-19's impact on campus planning, and bird management strategies

University Buildings | Apr 29, 2021

The Weekly Show, April 29, 2021: COVID-19's impact on campus planning, and bird management strategies

This week on The Weekly show, BD+C Senior Editor John Caulfield interviews a duo of industry experts on 1) how campus planning has changed during the pandemic and 2) managing bird infestations on construction sites and completed buildings.