![]() ![]() When Ubers reclogged its arteries, London responded by tweaking the system. A look at the experience since then reveals an imperfect record marred by periodic transit strikes (and the threat of more), but a city that’s been precise, patient, and flexible. The streets became less sclerotic, cars moved more fluidly, the air grew cleaner, and money flowed toward public transit. ![]() When London first instituted its congestion charge in 2003, improvements were dramatic and immediate. Given the danger in the details and the height of the stakes, the MTA has not done nearly enough to reassure supporters like me, let alone antagonists, that it will come up with a system as smooth and overarching as, say, London’s. ![]() If that happens, New York will have squandered its best shot at remaining a world-class metropolis. The program could still wind up mired in unintended consequences, be judged a flop, and get scrapped. As the reality of congestion pricing finally comes into sight, so does the flashing red alert signaling the danger of failure. He’s correct both in his optimism and his caveat. “Done right, congestion pricing will result in a healthier city and region,” predicts Regional Plan Association president Tom Wright. Everybody wins.īut slide out the wrong brick from that transportation Jenga, and the whole thing could collapse. The toll also lightens traffic (but not too much), which makes driving more enjoyable (but not too enjoyable), purifies the air, and leaves more space for everyone not in a car. The money helps improve the experience of millions who arrive by train, bus, ferry, bike, or on foot. In a well-tuned system, the relatively few who must - or feel they must - steer their vehicles into Manhattan, anywhere from Central Park to Battery Park, will pay for the privilege. The essence is simple: Make drivers subsidize public transit. I was in favor of the Bloomberg administration’s first proposal back in 2007, and I believe we need it even more urgently now. The roads keep getting worse, too, as suburbanites and urbanites both add to their stables of cars.Ĭongestion pricing, that euphemism for a midtown and lower Manhattan vehicular entry fee, will finally help mitigate the snarl and maybe even quell the snarling. I’ve listened to cabbies blame bike lanes for gobbling up space, been yelled at by drivers for crossing the street on foot and interfering with their God-given right to run a red light, heard passengers fulminate at buses for getting all but immobilized, and found myself biking in a narrowing slot canyon between two SUVs. Two things New Yorkers can agree on: There’s too much traffic, and it’s someone else’s fault. Photo-Illustration: Curbed Photo Getty Images ![]()
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