New York mayor's plan for traffic fee fails

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to charge drivers extra tolls to enter Manhattan's most congested neighborhoods earned him invitations to speak at such gatherings as the UN climate conference and raised his profile as he considered a presidential run.

But the plan died on Monday when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in Albany, the state capital, announced his chamber would not take up the proposal because of strong opposition within the conference dominated by New York City Democrats.

The traffic fee proposal called for cars to pay $8, and trucks $21, to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street between 6 am and 6 pm on weekdays. Opponents argued it was an unfair tax on middle-class commuters who drive to work for lack of mass transit options in their neighborhoods.