Congestion Pricing? Or Just Another Useless Tax?
The premise:
to cut down on bumper-to-bumper traffic and improve air quality, charge a fee to use the roads ” or even enter the city ” during rush hour.
Known as congestion pricing, the concept is favored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which is planning to help fund some of these efforts this summer. Nine cities ” including such car-oriented cities as San Diego, Miami, and Dallas ” are proposing a charge to use roads during rush hour. New York’s is the most wide-sweeping, tacking on an $8 fee for cars and $21 for trucks to enter much of Manhattan.
What about the residents of the city? How about the delivery trucks that need to get into these cities? Because there was a crash on the highway and people were stuck in a jam for 2 hours, they should be taxed because they got to the city during “rush hour”? Nuts!
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June 21, 2007 - 05:47 PM on June 21st, 2007
Bloomberg is just copying London’s mayor, Red Ken.
Since Bloomberg knows all, why doesn’t he set the example and give all his money to the US Treasury?
June 21, 2007 - 09:50 PM on June 21st, 2007
They are talking about this kind of thing here in SF.
I work downtown, but I take a bus there and back. But I think that this kind of congestion management idea might be worth exploring…
The air quality in many big cities is not acceptable, and does harm to American citizens.
Less cars = better air.
June 22, 2007 - 05:50 AM on June 22nd, 2007
2, fewer Nanny State liberals = More freedom for all.
June 22, 2007 - 01:26 PM on June 22nd, 2007
This is another stupid idea invented by morons.
June 22, 2007 - 06:50 PM on June 22nd, 2007
San Fran, while I wil not argue that some cities have serious air quality problems (Phoenix is horrible because of the dust kicked up by all of the construction and problems related to the heat.) taxing drivers isn’t the solution. Philadelphia, for all its bad qualities, has a mass transit system that works. Parking in the city is expensive and the streets are terribly congested because of the narrowness of 18th century streets hemmed in by buildings that are on the National Historical Registry and can not be touched. As a result driving in Philly pretty much sucks, that combined with a mass transit system consisting of coordinated buses, commuter trains, and subways, makes mass transit there really convenient most of the time. SEPTA (the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority) more or less has their feces collated and are efficient enough to provide an economical and convenient alternative to driving. Phoenix Metro, unfortunately, is trying to institute a light rail line that is a debacle. They’ve torn up streets, torn down shopping centers and forced businesses out of desirable locations to install a light rail line that will only cover about 25 miles and average only 12 miles per hour. They seem to think that this will attract ridership among people who are commuting to work who are now driving to work in less than half the time. They really should’ve taken a look at SEPTA’s operation. SEPTA has more or less phased out their trolley/ light rail because of lack of ridership in comparison to the commuter lines which are either elevated or subterranean and hence NOT in direct competition with roadways with cars. As a result, the commuter trains also travel faster than traffic. Phoenix with its arid climate would’ve been an outstanding locale for a subway or an elevated train line. Traffic and business disruption would’ve been minimized had they elevated the tracks and the trains would’ve been able to travel at a much higher rate of speed than the traffic below. There is also the problem of train crossings. Phoenix has not only the most dangerous railroad intersection in the US but also another one of the top five. This light rail will add a number of ungated intersections in a city known for its red light running problem. The phrase of “Rojas = No VA” has not sunk in with a large number of our Illegal alien population and the mayor is asking for a tax increase for more police officers (we need them) while preventing the police from questioning detainees about whether their illegal or not. I wonder if our fine mayor and senators would like to explain to the family of the woman who was killed by an illegal who rammed a sheriff deputy’s car repeatedly until pushing it across the median into oncoming traffic last week, why the illegal hadn’t been charged and imprisoned following any of his previous five arrests for violating US Immigration law.
June 22, 2007 - 08:43 PM on June 22nd, 2007
The reason why you will see this new tax that is coming to you! is that over 100,000 mexico truck’s are coming to your cities, and not to say anything about one million mexican/south america Van’s and Bus’s all full of people who hate you.
million’s of automobile/van’s bus’s full of people and all coming here for your tax dollars and your job’s and your home’s and you life.
See it for what it is a totally dishonest system and evil people in high place’s that are not Americans but people of hate for you!
June 23, 2007 - 08:40 AM on June 23rd, 2007
This is getting out of hand. I feel another tax revolt coming on. The people need to be reminded that when you add up all the various taxes the different levels of government throw at you, the government is taking around half of everything you earn. Not just income tax, but sales tax, property tax, gas tax, beer tax, etc. Now they seem to be working on getting the other half.
Speaking of which, if the incompetents in the Michigan legislature decide the only way to fix our state’s budget problem is another cowardly tax hike instead of cutting programs that may cost them special interests money, I will personally join the recall campaign. As well as the part time legislature drive, hopefully with a very large decrease in pay and benefits for this cowardly, inept government. Even God only asks for 10%, 50% is outrageous!
June 23, 2007 - 07:36 PM on June 23rd, 2007
The Outrageous BS Is just starting, wait until you get half of the congress Hispanic native Indian’s and native Chinese Reds running congress you will understand what pain is when your money disappears inside some third world country and some third world banking system.
June 23, 2007 - 07:36 PM on June 23rd, 2007
Hey Fred, that’s a wonderful observation. Where are the environmental groups? Why aren’t they screaming about emissions equipment free Mexican trucks that are going to be flooding our highways? Is there anyone who believes that American trucking companies are going to be able to compete with Mexican companies with outdated equipment, lousy service records, no emissions standards, and drivers who, as history shows, routinely violate US laws about load limits and hours worked? Not to mention the relative certainty of illegal drugs coming in by the truck full.
June 23, 2007 - 10:31 PM on June 23rd, 2007
How about a $25:000 tax for every wealthy liberal demacrat on every limo of 4 mpg they own and start with AL GORE and TED KENNEDY:cool::idea:
June 26, 2007 - 09:38 PM on June 26th, 2007
“2, fewer Nanny State liberals = More freedom for all.”
Gosh, PCD…don’t you think it might be kinda hard to enjoy that freedom of yours as you, your wife and your babies slowly suffer from TOTALLY PREVENTABLE asthma and other respiratory diseases?
Taxing drivers in congested and polluted American cities to reduced traffic flow and encourage the use of public transportation is the right thing to do.
To continue to allow or turn a blond eye to your fellow American citizens while they suffer and possibly die because you don’t want to help clean up the mess you and thousands of other people make…is irresponsible and downright UN-American.
shame.
June 26, 2007 - 09:45 PM on June 26th, 2007
Why aren’t they screaming about emissions equipment free Mexican trucks that are going to be flooding our highways?
Wow, man, you people are OBSESSED with “illegal” immigrants!
June 27, 2007 - 06:02 AM on June 27th, 2007
11,12, SFL, one of these days libs like you are going to reap the negative effects of your crazy proposals. You won’t be allowed to blame others for it and you will be not only made to suffer for your actions, but you will have to repay the rest of the country for the damages you cause.
June 27, 2007 - 09:38 PM on June 27th, 2007
We all have to wonder what Bloomberg is really thinking of with this congestion pricing tax scheme. Maybe he mostly just wants a new tax. Just wrap it up in ‘concern for the environment’, and people can just demonize those who oppose it.
If he cares so much about traffic jams, congestion and air pollution, why does he let Park Avenue be blocked off? Why doesn’t he do anything about that?
Pershing Square Restaurant blocks Park Avenue going South at 42nd St. for about 12 hours a day/5 months of the year! This Causes Massive Congestion & Air Pollution!
But apparently it does not bother NYC’s Nanny-in-Chief Mike “Congestion Pricing Tax” Bloomberg? Check out the map!
http://whataplanet.blogspot.com
http://preview.tinyurl.com/38obfd
Check it out!
Thanks,
Little Blue PD