Apr
14
Congestion pricing
Filed Under Transportation
Friday, April 11, 2008
London did it.
New York failed to do it.
What’s Chicago thinking?
London recently implemented congestion pricing to cut down on road congestion. This means that drivers would pay a fee to use the roads during high-traffic times of day, said Michael McLaughlin of the Metropolitan Planning Council. These fees would then be used to maintain and improve surface transportation. The system is similar to tolls, but vehicles would not have to slow down to pay. Instead, there would be an automatic system to deduct a certain amount of money from each driver’s account when they pass a check point. In the past year, Mayor Bloomberg made efforts to implement congestion pricing in New York City. Though the federal government would have contributed $354 million in assistance should it accept the plan by Monday, the State Assembly chose to not vote on the proposal. The United States Department of Transportation announced it will now offer the money to other cities. Congestion pricing would provide an added incentive for many people to schedule their day to avoid being on the roads during rush hour, and allow other vehicles to move more quickly.