Later a Face about the last minute, pushbackAnd CompromiseCongestion pricing Officially implemented This week in New York City.
The first-in-the-nation policy to try to ease traffic and raise revenue for public transit by charging drivers a steep fee to use Manhattan’s busiest streets has been — to say the least — controversial. In June, New York Gov. Cathy Hochul abruptly put the brakes on congestion pricing weeks before it was supposed to go into effect, eventually bringing it back to a lower rate. At that time Siena College had a vote found that about two thirds New Yorkers opposed the plan. And since its launch, Some people live And aired their complaints about overcharges around Manhattan, and businesses said the new scheme Reasons to raise their prices.
It’s too soon to measure the cost of traffic congestion in New York, either in terms of its popularity or impact on transportation in the region. There is travel time Reportedly shorter On bridges and tunnels entering Manhattan. And while there are anecdotes of quieter streets within the congestion relief zone — which is anywhere in Manhattan south of 60th Street — Traffic data So far it shows that there has not been much change in the traffic pattern compared to the previous week. It’s hard to tell how much of any traffic changes are due to congestion pricing against the brutally cold weather.
That’s why it will take many months to understand how successful New York’s congestion pricing model is and what other implications it might have. Will New York Look at reducing carbon emissionsFor example, have experience like cities with congestion pricing? Other American cities are also watching Let’s see if they can implement something like this to see how it unfolds. But in the meantime, New Yorkers interested in how it will work can see how congestion pricing has worked in other cities that have given it a shot.
What New York Can Learn From Other Cities
London introduced congestion pricing in 2003, charging vehicles £5 to enter the city’s busiest streets between 7am and 6:30pm on weekdays. Before tolling, only 39 per cent of Londoners supported the plan — similar numbers to the Siena poll showing the (un)popularity of NYC’s plan
Five months after the program was launched, public support for congestion pricing has grown 59 percentNoticeably agitated by the congested streets. In the policy’s first year, London saw a 30 percent reduction traffic
Stockholm had a similar story. When the city first imposed a congestion tax in 2006, it began with a seven-month trial period. At this time, the policy is in effect About 100,000 cars have been taken off the road In relief zones, easing traffic and improving people’s travel time. Shortly thereafter, Stockholm residents approved a referendum to stabilize congestion pricing and public support. By 2011 that had swelled to 70 percent.
“In both London and Stockholm, residents were initially resistant but eventually experienced the promised benefits of reduced traffic and improved public transport and eventually came around to the idea,” said Sarah KaufmanDirector of New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation.
This does not mean that the same exact trend will follow in New York. For one, New York’s policy is stricter. In London, weekend tolls are included only Noon and 6 p.m and Stockholm, the driver A toll is not charged All the weekend. In contrast, New York will Drivers are still being charged Peak toll on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 9pm. New York’s policy applies year-round, while Stockholm’s policy varies: Drivers Do not pay toll in July, and they offer lower, off-peak prices between December and March.
There are also limits to how much tolling the public is willing to accept. “Between 2007 and 2010 there was an expansion of the London program into some of the wealthier western neighbourhoods. [Then-London Mayor] Boris Johnson ruled out expansion, however, due to continued opposition from neighbours. Jonah Freemarka researcher at the Urban Institute who often focuses on transportation policy, wrote in an email.
Nevertheless, the impact of congestion pricing on the number of vehicles on the road is clear. While Milan, Italy briefly suspended its car tax in 2012 due to a court ruling After the car owners protested, Traffic increased rapidly. Congestion pricing is reinstated after a few months, and Traffic has slowed down again.
So what is congestion pricing here?
Examples from cities around the world show that congestion pricing is a resilient policy as public support continues to grow after the program is introduced. But New York’s situation may have unique challenges. One reason is that the opposition is particularly vocal. President-elect Donald Trump, for example, He promised to finish the program He withdrew its federal approval after he returned to the White House — though it’s unclear whether that was the move Courts can tolerate. It’s possible that “a conservative future governor of New York could try to shut down the program in part or in whole,” Freemark added.
However, positive public opinion will make this more difficult, and the key to changing public opinion about the toll is to ensure that residents actually experience its positive effects. “The benefits have to go hand in hand with the fees,” says Coffman from NYU.
London, for example, added 300 buses to its fleet when congestion pricing came into effect, showing residents that investment in public transit is actually being made. In the spring, New York service is expected to increase On at least 24 bus routes. “In New York, when someone sees a new elevator at their home subway station, or when their bus ride takes half the time they used to, or when they feel like they’re not completely drowned out by honking while walking down the street, New Yorkers will begin to appreciate the program,” Kaufman said.
So if lawmakers want to help New York follow the same policy as other cities by investing in congestion pricing, they need to invest in public transit as well, and follow a simple formula: Trains (and buses) run on time, and commuters drive more happily. will run Leave their cars at home.
