[privacy] Are license plate scanners or mandatory RFID car tags coming to NYC?

[<rms () computerbytesman com>]

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_110131425.html

Coming Real Soon: $8 To Enter Manhattan By Car
Bloomberg Ready To Fight Albany For Congestion Fee

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_110131425.html

(CBS) NEW YORK A controversial new plan is about to be implemented to
improve the quality of life in New York City.

This weekend Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to introduce an $8
congestion fee for drivers who enter Manhattan below 86th Street.

On the city's traffic-clogged arteries Friday, Bloomberg was not a popular
guy.

"Next thing he's gonna charge us to cross the street," one driver said.

Complaints like those echoed among drivers who'd heard that the mayor is
about to propose tolls for vehicles entering Midtown Manhattan.

A mayoral panel has proposed charging motorists to enter Manhattan below
86th Street from 6 am to 6 p.m.

That charge would:

-- Include any bridge or tunnel tolls people already pay 

-- Exempt drivers who bypass the business district on their way to another
part of the city.

-- Exempt taxi drivers, and possibly give discounts for people who live and
work in the zone.

Advocates said it's crucial for a city that's expected to add another
million people in the next 20 years. 

"Things here are gonna grind to a halt if something is not done to relieve
the congestion on New York City's streets," said Noah Budnick of
Transportation Alternatives.

Opposition has already formed in the boroughs outside of Manhattan, where
some view Bloomberg as a Manhattan elitist.

Former Queens Councilman Walter McCaffrey represents a group opposed to the
idea.

"Those individuals who are not that well to do are going to find they're
being hit with a $5,000 a year tax," McCaffrey said.

This could set off a battle royale from here to Albany, where the
legislature would have to approve the plan. The mayor will unveil details of
it on Sunday when he delivers a speech on the future of New York City.

In that speech, the mayor is expected to outline an ambitious agenda for his
final 32 months in office. He'll propose a new $7.5 billion freight tunnel
under the Hudson River, and call for the construction of 250,000 new homes.

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