Imagine forking over $9 to drive into Manhattan, or hopping into one of 30 rapid bus transports to zip down an avenue to your destination.Such measures exist today elsewhere in the world, but a documentary filmmaker from Brooklyn is hoping a showing of his project, "Contested Streets: Breaking NYC Gridlock" will inspire local officials to follow suit.The film will be shown Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the New York City Council, 250 Broadway, 14th Floor Hearing Room across from City Hall, with a discussion to follow."Cities around the world have already established innovative strategies to expand transportation options and restore quality of life to their streets," said John Choe, chief of staff for City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) in a news release promoting the film.Steven Schaefer, director, producer and editor of the film, said the documentary highlights progressive traffic-calming measures around the world, from high street tolls in London to encourage mass transit, to rapid bus transit in Paris."Any of these things can happen in New York," Schaefer said. "As New Yorkers, we're kind of resigned to the way the streets are now. To see this film, you see our streets have similar issues [to other city streets around the world]."He said untying the traffic in and around the city can easily free up billions of dollars in economic growth.Liu recently lauded a traffic study that would change two busy streets in downtown Flushing into one-way thoroughfares in order to stabilize the inevitable congestion to come in future years.Choe said the documentary should allow for renewed options citywide."Traffic congestion and pollution don't have to be a fact of life," he said.Schaefer said the film is intended to effect change and reveal the workings of large city transportation."Hopefully, it will change the minds of planners and show normal New Yorkers they can push elected officials to make changes," he said. "It's politicized me. It's changed my thinking that we don't have to live with the status quo."The showing is free and open to the public.For more information, visit the Web site at www.contestedstreets.com.