Congestion Pricing

By looking closely at the key factors that helped London's congestion charge succeed, other cities can decipher whether a similar scheme would work in their jurisdictions.

In this interview from last year, the now newly-elected mayor of London, Boris Johnson, talks about the importance of biking in the city, improving public transportation, and abolishing the city's congestion pricing system.

The Transit Coalition's Bart Reed and USC planning Professor Peter Gordon debate transit and traffic in L.A. in this five-part point-counterpoint series.

With Los Angeles now planning to install HOT lanes, a pair of recent articles in the L.A. Times question whether congestion pricing is a way to help the rich at the expense of the poor, or a practical solution to traffic congestion and its ills.

$153 million in congestion reduction funds that had been awarded to New York City will now go to Chicago to apply congestion pricing to street parking spaces. Funds will also go toward developing pilot Bus Rapid Transit routes on dedicated lanes.

With New York City's congestion pricing proposal effectively dead, DOT Secretary Peters indicated that the city had forfeited its $350 million grant, and gave other cities the chance to apply. Now Los Angles may grab over $200 million for transit.

The federal government is tempting officials in Los Angeles County with more than $200 million in transportation funding -- but only if the county converts some highway lanes to congestion pricing toll lanes.

After the fall of congestion pricing, should New York look to Paris for ideas on how to reclaim its streets?

Congestion pricing is really just a regressive tax thats hurt the poor, argues one New York Assemblyman. If government wants to improve transit and the environment, it should simply tax wealthy Americans more to do it.

Though the idea of congestion pricing has won over many planners and officials, as the failed proposal in New York shows, many members of the driving public are far more comfortable with sitting in traffic than paying tolls or riding transit.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone wants to increase the central city's congestion charge from $16 a day to $50. Drivers in the city are not too happy about it.

Though congestion pricing was shot down, New Yorkers are thinking about new ways to experience and use their streets.

Members of the New York State Assembly decided late Monday not to vote on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan, a plan that the state would have needed to approve by April 7 to be eligible for more than $350 million.

Owners of gas-guzzling SUVs would pay $50 to drive into the central city, while drivers of low emission vehicles would now be exempt from the $16 congestion charge.

The New York City Council has approved Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to charge drivers $8 to enter Manhattan.

Officials in New York are pleading their case for a congestion pricing plan before city councilors as the April 7 deadline for approval approaches.

The Golden Gate Bridge District, in agreeing to apply congestion pricing to the bridge, has saved the $158 million Urban Partnership grant for the Bay Area in the nick of time, but has created turmoil with S.F because of where the revenue goes.

An innovative proposal seeks to deal with both vehicle and internet congestion by placing Wi-Fi access transmitters in cars driving through urban areas.

The Department of Transportation under President Bush has placed an emphasis on market-based measures such as toll roads to alleviate congestion, and this has public transit advocates worried that the Federal government sees no role for transit.

Bay Area political columnist Dan Borenstein examines long-term transportation data and concludes that driving will only increase unless politicians make driving more expensive and transit cheaper, a solution he regards as unlikely at best.