In the continuing debate over congestion pricing in New York, Adele Peters asks if transit advocates are stopping short of what they should be asking for: free transit for all of New York.
It's been a rough year for the MTA. Between service failures and falling ridership, many are looking for a way to buoy public transit in New York. Some transit proponents have argued for congestion pricing, but Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to oppose the idea.
"But a report at the time, commissioned by mass transit advocate Theodore Kheel, suggested that a fee on drivers would not only reduce traffic and save the city billions by regaining the productivity of people previously stuck in gridlock, but would be able to pay for free public transportation for everyone else," Adele Peters writes for Fast Company. This is beyond what some have asked for. "The fees could help repair and upgrade the city’s struggling subway system. The idea of free public transit is less likely to ever happen," Peters writes. But that is what Mayor Bloomberg described wanting when he discussed the idea during his term.
For his part, de Blasio suggests funds for the MTA could come from a "millionaire's tax" that would subsidize transit passes for those who can’t afford tickets, Peters reports. But this system would do nothing to curb traffic or creates incentives for transit before the improvements can be made. Peters argues that transit's role will be just as important in the future: "Even if cars are shared, electric, and self-driving, subways and buses still have advantages, including keeping roads less congested. Cities will need to find ways to make those traditional services competitive, and that might eventually mean lower–or even free–fares."
FULL STORY: Should Public Transit Be Free?
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.