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Anonymous (not verified) says:
Congestion pricing is a vestige of the 'manipulated market forces can do everything' approach to public policy. I don't believe CP will have the desired effect because people don't change their behavior on the basis of price if the demand for the good is inelastic and especially when the good is 'public'. They find a way of getting what they want and passing the costs off to someone else and they just don't equate their personal action with a social harm.
We need a grander, futuristic vision, something that emerges from local conditions, something that involves urban planning and design, and large scale public works. Big ideas are exciting and economically stimulating. They make everything seem new again. They open up the future.
Most of us are familiar with Boston's big dig. Look at how that project, with all its problems, has reinvigorated that city. Is it any surprise that Boston teams have been dominating professional (and to a certain extent amateur) sports over the last 5 years or that Boston has become one of the greenest cities in the US? I would argue not.
Congestion pricing just doesn't seem far reaching enough for NYC. It seems lazy, paltry. The same effect could be achieved, with much fewer sunken costs, by drastically reducing the amount of available parking. Where is our creativity? Our vitality? Why not think about people mover monorails between major subway stations, about completely segregated two way bicycle paths under these monorails, about police guarded bicycle parking at central subway hubs, about more comfortable, quieter subways (have you ever been down there during the summer months?), and many many more.
Congestion pricing is a vestige of the 'manipulated market forces can do everything' approach to public policy. I don't believe CP will have the desired effect because people don't change their behavior on the basis of price if the demand for the good is inelastic and especially when the good is 'public'. They find a way of getting what they want and passing the costs off to someone else and they just don't equate their personal action with a social harm.
We need a grander, futuristic vision, something that emerges from local conditions, something that involves urban planning and design, and large scale public works. Big ideas are exciting and economically stimulating. They make everything seem new again. They open up the future.
Most of us are familiar with Boston's big dig. Look at how that project, with all its problems, has reinvigorated that city. Is it any surprise that Boston teams have been dominating professional (and to a certain extent amateur) sports over the last 5 years or that Boston has become one of the greenest cities in the US? I would argue not.
Congestion pricing just doesn't seem far reaching enough for NYC. It seems lazy, paltry. The same effect could be achieved, with much fewer sunken costs, by drastically reducing the amount of available parking. Where is our creativity? Our vitality? Why not think about people mover monorails between major subway stations, about completely segregated two way bicycle paths under these monorails, about police guarded bicycle parking at central subway hubs, about more comfortable, quieter subways (have you ever been down there during the summer months?), and many many more.