Some US Cities Consider Implementing Congestion Fees
While traffic is a headache for many drivers, it can be even more of a time suck if you live or work near a big city. Add to that the potential influx of driverless cars in the near future and congestion problems could get even worse.
One possible solution for helping curb urban traffic is for cities to start charging congestion fees. Interestingly enough, those in public policy, urban planning, and academic fields have been advocating this idea for years. Now, cities such as Boston and Los Angeles are finally starting to see the practicality and effectiveness of this proposed pricing.
Factors feeding the discussion
There are a few different triggers that have catalyzed the resurfacing of the congestion pricing proposal. For starters, public transit is declining in many U.S. cities and these cities often lack funds to repair this infrastructure.
Another huge reason is the shift in perspective that new urban residents are bringing to the auto and transportation industries. Per Wired, young city-dwellers are moving away from the idea of cars as an essential component of human identity and expression of personal independence. Instead, they view vehicles primarily as functional tools used for getting around town.
Plus, ride-share services like Lyft and Uber have normalized the idea of consumers paying per ride or per miles traveled. Congestion pricing borrows this same principle of charging passengers for miles traveled on a busy route during peak use times.
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Obstacles to implementing congestion fees
Like with any new change, cities considering congestion fees will have some hurdles to overcome. From the consumer standpoint, paying to drive on high-traffic roads during certain time periods seems unfair — especially when those roads were previously free to use. From an implementation standpoint, it’s hard for planners to determine just the right price for congestion fees. If the fee is too high, no one will want to use the road. But if the fee is too low, drivers will still experience heavy traffic on certain routes.
Only time will tell which cities will approve congestion pricing policies. We anticipate more details in the days ahead as Boston, LA, and other cities continue to discuss this potential remedy to help reduce urban traffic.
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News Source: Wired
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