Congestion pricing was the focus of the first event in support of PlaNYC's far-reaching, detailed and exciting initiatives for creating a sustainable New York City. Less than 24 hours after Mayor Bloomberg introduced the plan in his Earth Day speech, a coalition of environmental, labor, business and community groups who support the Mayor's proposal for congestion pricing (referred to by Mayor Bloomberg as the elephant in the room) as well as the other proposals in PlaNYC that would enable commuters to do less driving and more biking, walking and mass transit commuting. The rally was held on the steps of City Hall this morning.

I'm in a state of thrill - 15 years ago, I had a vision for the city, and mapped the signs of progress toward this vibrant, sustainable state on the original Green Apple Map. I saw that vision take a giant leap forward yesterday. I loved hearing the Mayor address the greener greater NYC as an imperative not just for us, but also for the beacon of hope this City represents to so many urban dwellers around the world.

Download PlaNYC 2030 and the Mayor's April 22 speech at the relaunched PlaNYC web site

Image, home page: Andy Darrell of Environmental Defense speaking at rally at City Hall on 4/23 in support of PlaNYC's congestion pricing proposal, along with representatives of business and labor organizations. (Emily Gertz)

Image, Top: Seen in Central Park after the Mayor's speech (Wendy Brawer)