Turning Tides

Mostafavi brings up many good points about the development of an Ecological Urbanism and one of his quotes made my mind immediately connect to new legislature that is getting passed in New York. The quote from the reading is:

        "In this context, ecological urbanism can be seen as a means of providing a set of sensibilities and             practices that can help enhance our approaches to urban development"

One new practice towards a more ecological urbanism is taking place in New York City. The MTA board voted that to reduce congestion in the city, any car that enters Manhattan below 61st Street will be charged a base fee of $15, with trucks being charged at a higher rate varying from $24-$36. These fees will be applied throughout the week from 5am until 9pm and from 9am to 9pm on weekends. 

The MTA intends for the fees to be invested into the public transportation infrastructure, working on new trains, signals, and modernizing the subway system. The hopes of this is for more people to use the public transportation and to acquire the funds to make public transportation a better experience for all who use it. 

The approval of this plan is a new precedent, and is the nations first congestion pricing program. With a plan like this getting passed in a major US city, do y'all think this is the beginning of a new urban ecology? Are fees imposed on those who forego public transportation the right way to update and fund a better public transportation system for all?