Scores of low emission and hybrid vehicles will no longer be exempt from London's spectacularly successful congestion pricing scheme because their growing popularity has increased pollution and traffic in the capital, reports the Daily Mail.
If approved by Mayor Boris Johnson, Transport for London's proposal to end the £10 congestion charge exemption for "[m]ore than 50 ‘green’ models, which includes the petrol/electric Toyota Prius," will go into effect this July.
"The U-Turn has provoked an outcry from motoring organisations, who accused authorities of moving the ‘green goalposts’. And the move is also expected to cause anger among motorists who bought their cars to take advantage of the exemption."
Of the 70,000 vehicles that enter the congestion zone each day, 2,500 qualify for the Greener Vehicle Discount. "It is understood the changes to the pricing will generate up to an extra £2 million a year," which the Daily Mail says "will go some way to plugging the £60 million lost since the abandoning the Congestion Charge’s western extension."
Watch Out for Green Class Backlash
Low emission zones, like that implemented in London, face backlash from critics on all sides of the political spectrum for impacting the poorest drivers and putting a burden on small businesses.
E-ZPass Could Limit the Effectiveness of NYC's Congestion Charge
The known quantity of the EZ Pass system could prevent innovations in congestion pricing that would prevent the challenges since London enacted a similar policy.
Cities Have Tried to Rein in Cars, and the Results Have Been Mixed
Vehicle pollution is making cities around the world unlivable. Some cities have taken steps to curb auto use and emissions, with varying levels of success.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Fair Housing Cannot Take a Back Seat to ‘Build, Baby, Build’
If we overlook fair housing principles in the plan to build US housing back better, we risk ending up right back where we started.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient
A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
