Unscrupulous Londoners have already learned how to beat that city's famed congestion charge system, and with Mayor Bloomberg's plan relying on the same technology, there are worries about a surge in license plate counterfeiting.
"Mayor Michael Bloomberg touts London's congestion pricing plan as a model for New York City. But as Britain is learning, no plan is perfect."
"License plate counterfeiting and thefts are increasing...[and] Londoners are now cloning license plates to avoid congestion fees."
"I was surprised at just how easy it was," Parliament Roads Minister Robert Goodwill said. "All I did was I spotted the Prime Minister's car coming out of Downing Street across the road. I jotted down the number, I went on the Internet."
"For $40, a parliament member scored a copy of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's license plate
"This is the Prime Minister's plate," Goodwill said, showing us a copy.
Traffic cameras enforce congestion fees in London. A computer matches plates and registrations and sends bills to the home address.
If you get a cloned plate you ride for free.
A serious flaw in the system and it's very similar to the plan proposed by Bloomberg for New York City. His plans calls for 1,000 cameras to snap people's license plates."
FULL STORY: Congestion Pricing Flaw: Cloned License Plates
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont