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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: 2) by Nuke on Thursday April 04 2019, @12:15PM
As you are talking about the congestion charge zone of London - only a small proportion of people enter it by car, but still enough to clog the streets. So even if you halve that number by imposing a charge, the overall effect on numbers of people entering is small. The beneficial effect on reducing traffic and pollution is significant though.
I once worked in the City of London, before the charge, and out of about 30 people in my branch only one did not come in by public transport, and he came on a motorbike - only because he could weave through the traffic jams. There would have been no-where to park a car anyway except at a price which makes the congestion charge pale into insignificance. These 30 people spent a great deal of money in the shops, pubs and cafes in the city - for example I bought more than one camera there and ate in a pub every lunch time. No way is the centre of London going broke because of the congestion charge,