The Technology To Eliminate Traffic

As traffic continues to worsen, new technologies and market-based approaches to congestion pricing are gaining acceptance.

1 minute read

May 8, 2005, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"London’s experiment with road pricing has sparked a lot of discussion in the United States. The reason is not because lots of American cities will want to copy London. With the exceptions of Manhattan, San Francisco, Chicago or Washington, D.C., traffic congestion in this sprawling country is much more a highway phenomenon than a matter for the downtown street grid. Rather, people are talking about London because Livingstone showed that voters might agree to putting a price tag on driving — so long as they get a better ride in return.

Could the same principle apply in the car-crazy United States? Conventional wisdom says no: Americans are accustomed to their freeways being free. But a dramatic shift in thinking is going on among highway planners and the politicians who give them orders. More and more, it seems, American policy makers are coming around to the idea of charging rush-hour commuters."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Saturday, May 7, 2005 in Governing

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view of red brick multi-story power plant building in Pittsburgh, PA.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower

A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

July 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cyclist on protected bike lane in middle of street in Washington D.C. with Washington Monument obelisk visible in background.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”

The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

July 4 - Streetsblog USA

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business