After years of debate, New York state has adopted congestion pricing to deal with traffic problems in New York City. Starting in 2021, fees will be imposed on all vehicles entering a pricing zone that covers lower Manhattan, from 60th Street at the southern edge of Central Park to the southernmost tip of the island.
This approach has succeeded in cities including London, Singapore and Stockholm. For scholars like me who focus on urban issues, New York's decision is welcome news. Properly used, congestion pricing can make crowded cities safer, cleaner and easier for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to navigate.
The details matter, including the size and timing of charges and the area that they cover. Congestion charges also raises equity issues, since rich people are best able to move closer to work or change their schedules to avoid the steepest costs.
Are congestion pricing plans the wave of the future in American cities?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 03 2019, @04:04PM
Yeah if we say socialism then you can have a temper tantrum. Viewing the transit system as roads for the rich and public for the poor is the problem.
"Awl dis bike lanes and deez fees you shove down my throat and make me pay for when I drive a caah across the riva every morning"
Yeah and the dude's sedan takes up enough room to move 10 people around the city plus he's in the way of people making more responsible decisions.
If someone is too lazy to figure out how to reclaim hours of their day spent driving and paying for their trip to work then we're going to expect they don't like change.