The city's plan to charge vehicles entering Manhattan's central business district could reduce traffic and raise $1 billion a year for the city's transportation infrastructure.
In an op-ed in the New York Daily News, Betsy Plum and Kate Slevin argue that New York City's long-awaited plan to institute congestion pricing for vehicles entering Manhattan's central business district is "a welcome milestone" for a strong regional recovery.
"Now that the doors are open for quick action, the MTA should immediately begin determining the nuts and bolts of what New York’s program looks like — fixing how much tolls will cost, whether they’ll vary by time of day, who pays what," write Plum and Slevin. The authors contend that, "[w]ith forward thinking and hard work that starts now," the city could start its program and start earning revenue in as little as a year.
If instituted, the program would follow in the footsteps of London, Singapore, Stockholm, and other traffic-choked cities. "Congestion pricing is projected to raise about $1 billion annually for new subway signals, cars, elevators, buses and commuter rail. It will alleviate congestion worth an estimated $20 billion annually to residents." Additionally, the reduced traffic could lead to faster buses, "quicker emergency response times, less pollution, fewer carbon emissions, less chance of deadly collisions, less of a burden on businesses and customers and less stress for businesses, drivers, commuters and residents."
FULL STORY: Congestion pricing, more than ever
Congestion Pricing in Manhattan Likely Stuck in COVID-19 Limbo
The federal government was already slow to cooperate with a plan to charge automobile drivers for entering certain parts of Manhattan, but with coronavirus commanding so much attention, the project isn't likely to move forward any time soon.
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Free street parking in much of New York City means lost revenue, but it also affects the urban landscape and the quality of people’s lives. So how much is all that street space really worth?
New Jersey Wants an Exemption from Manhattan Congestion Charge
With cordon pricing coming to Manhattan in 2021, New Jersey motorists who pay up to $15 in bridge or tunnel tolls don't want to have to pay another $10 to $14 to drive into the Central District Business tolling zone, but exemptions come with a price.
New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities
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New research published by the Journal of Transport and Land Use analyzes tens of thousands of pedestrian fatalities over 16 years in the United States.
The Freeway Removal Cause Gains Momentum—But Don't Forget Gentrification and Displacement
The case for freeway in urban areas isn't as unequivocal as it might seem. Plans to undo the damage of the legacies of past freeway planning need to ensure an inclusive future.
Ascent Environmental
Ascent Environmental
Brailsford & Dunlavey
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard University Graduate School of Design - Executive Education
City of Greensburg
City of Flagstaff
Zhongshan Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources
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