March 27, 2019

NYC could become first American city to use congestion street pricing

City Lab -It looks like New York may finally become the first city in the United States to introduce congestion pricing on its streets. The New York Times reports that state leaders have reached a consensus to put electronic tolls in place for drivers entering the most heavily jammed parts of Manhattan. Politically speaking, the idea has come a long way since 2008, when then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg floated a version of congestion pricing that was seen then as a non-starter.

Now, the city’s transportation crisis may have finally tipped the scales, getting Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo to agree that road fees are the way to fund the MTA’s big subway fix. Lawmakers in Albany think they can broker a deal before the state budget deadline on April 1, but they haven’t ironed out the specifics yet—and that’s where imposing road fees gets complicated.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congestion pricing is just another way to soak the poor. To really solve the problem, forbid non-residents to drive into the city. When I must drive to Boston, I park at Alewife and take the tube. I learned the hard way, when I lived just north of Boston, that driving in downtown Boston makes people crazy. It can't be done. Even cycling can barely be done.

Anonymous said...

Ironically, ride sharing companies may have contributed to road congestion. Ride share drivers are on the road because of their jobs, instead of working at a fixed location, such as a store or office.