Jason: New York City Council Approves Congestion Pricing

Shortly before 7:30 p.m., the New York City Council approved a measure urging state lawmakers to vote in favor of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s congestion pricing proposal. The vote was 30 to 20, with one member absent. Mayor Bloomberg immediately scheduled a news conference for later this evening with the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, to celebrate the passing of his plan, which has left city and state lawmakers sharply divided.

At the City Hall news conference, the mayor called the vote “the result of a lengthy democratic process,” and declared, “The people of New York City have spoken.” Ms. Quinn said that of the 30 yes votes, 20 were from outside Manhattan — signaling support for the proposal in the other boroughs, where opponents have been focusing their organizing efforts.

Read the rest in The New York Times.