New York City Council backs Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan

Newsday reports:

Under the proposal endorsed by the Council, drivers would be charged $8 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Disabled drivers would be exempt. A state commission created by the Legislature submitted the plan to lawmakers last month.

Opponents argued that congestion pricing is nothing more than a new tax, and that money -- not improving the city's air quality -- is the driving force behind the plan.

"If this were about the environment, we wouldn't be charging SUVs and hybrids the same fee," said City Councilman Peter Vallone of Queens. "What this is about is revenue -- it's a tax, plain and simple."

Some places want less economic activity.