And this morning, Streetsblog confirms that the chief architect of London's congestion pricing system, Bob Kiley is headed back to NYC to join an engineering firm connected to the Partnership for NYC (a local business group).

Kiley is generally credited as being the architect of the system that reduced traffic congestion by 25 percent, eliminated 70 road casualties per year, cut carbon emissions by 16 percent, sped up buses by 46 percent, increased bicycling by 43 percent, and is raising over $200 million dollars per year for mass transit, pedestrian and cyclist improvements in London, England.

This is a good sign the Mayor might be starting to put the pieces in place for congestion pricing.

Re: Transportation, esp the proposed BRT

In the words of Dark Helmet from Spaceballs: "Why are you always preparing? Just go!"

Seriously, I'm curious as to why it takes so long to start projects. Is it only budget concerns (there isn't money for the next couple of years,) is there really that much planning needed to paint bus lines down a street, or are corporate entities so powerful that we can't live against their wishes?

New York City should get a move on if only to save face against Bogota and Copenhagen. Not to say anything bad about them (I'd LOVE to see Copenhagen's fully integrated bike system,) but aren't we supposed to be one of the world's greatest cities?

I'm happy that initiatives are starting, but will be happier when I see something in action. For now, I'm wary.