Congestion Charges: It's The Principle That Counts

Though some my argue over the specifics of a plan, both congestion charging and carbon taxes -- which compel people to make needed choices -- are long overdue.

1 minute read

July 18, 2007, 6:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"Although it has mostly gone unstated, the congestion charge rests on ironclad economic logic: street space, being both coveted and finite, has a value; hence, our failure to charge a price for its use in effect substitutes rationing by waiting, for rationing by pricing -- which is why New York, Los Angeles, and every city in between have traffic jams.

Accordingly, a congestion charge that confronts those of us who would drive with the cost of traffic delays we impose on each other isn't just one means of reducing congestion -- it's the only way to do so.

Mayor Bloomberg could place traffic cops at every intersection, airlift every double-parked car and truck, and make the subways free -- and gridlock would reappear within a week, as the improvement in traffic flow attracted drivers now deterred by the too-crowded roads.

The only way to permanently open up road space is to impose some form of road valuation, and Mayor Bloomberg's pricing plan, while blunt and imperfect, is a very good start. Most important of all, though, it establishes the principle."

Monday, July 16, 2007 in Grist

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