According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 60% of New York voters–and 67% of city residents–support the Mayor’s congestion pricing plan.

By Andrew Buck

Overturning the conventional wisdom, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan has strong support from New Yorkers across the region—as long as the funds raised through the congestion tax benefit New York mass transit.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday says that 60% of all New York voters statewide support the mayor’s congestion pricing plan, which aims to reduce New York City traffic by charging a fee for vehicles entering Manhattan south of 60th Street.

City voters were most in favor of the plan, with 67% saying they thought it was a good idea. Upstaters were also strongly in favor, with 59% saying they approved. Even surburbanites support the mayor’s plan, with 51% saying they agreed with it.

However, 50% of all voters also included a significant caveat, saying they would oppose the plan if the funds raised by it were not used to improve mass transit.

Despite such strong support, there is some skepticism that revenues gleaned from congestion pricing will be used to improve mass transit, with 50% saying improvements are “likely” while only 42% say that it is “very likely” or “somewhat likely”.

“The clock is ticking on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s congestion-pricing plan. The State Legislature must act soon,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The bill must be passed by April 7 in order for the city to receive $354 million in federal funding, money sated to go toward mass transit improvements but ocntingent on the passage of a congestion pricing bill. Both Albany and the City Council must vote on congestion pricing within the next two weeks. The State Legislature is likely to approve the tax after Gov. David Paterson’s recent endorsement, leaving it up to City Council to give it the ultimate yea or nay.

City Council support for the bill has been divided until now due to the large number of term-limited officials eyeing the 2009 race. A poll taken earlier this month by the New York Times found that 12 City Council members were in favor, 20 opposed, 11 undecided and eight declining to respond–bad news for Mayor Bloomberg, who has seen support for the plan erode in recent week.

The Quinnipiac University Poll surveyed 1,528 New York State registered voters from March 16 to 18 with a margin of error of +/- 2.5%