LOL the same arguments where used in Sweden, Stockholm and Gothenburg, worked for a few months, the traffic is worse again. It was just a great lie for the the public to finance other prestige projects.
Exactly this is just another way to squeeze citizens.
If you consider how much we pay in taxes, as Americans we really don't get bang for the buck.
Our taxes are hidden behind sales taxes, service charges, tolls, included in fuel, it really adds up.
The toll thing is especially egregious IMO, considering there had been very little investment in this type of infrastructure and now we have to pay because the people who mishandled funds are long gone.
I would still argue that prices should be set however high whereas to eliminate congestion, even it is seems "too high", simply because there is a limit to how many lanes can be constructed and no amount of lanes can eliminate congestion due to induced demand. Then we must allow market forces to occur such that development and lifestyle patterns change, which takes time. Might as well bite the bullet now.
It would have been worth quoting from this article, since it shows what nonsense the original claim about Sweden was.
"When Stockholm, Sweden introduced a "congestion tax" to discourage driving in the center of town, traffic eased and the pollution level dropped by between 5 and 10 percent.
There was one other result that was unexpected, but welcome nonetheless: The rate of asthma attacks among local children decreased by nearly 50 percent, according to a Johns Hopkins University economist's study of the tax and its impact."
Houston has flex tolling on it's main lanes. On our biggest freeway with 10+ lanes in each direction two are dedicated to tolling with a price that ranges from $1 to $8 each way.
During peak hours the $8 toll makes almost no difference. The lanes remain just as jammed and on average you only save 5-10 minutes (less than 10% of the drive time) over the total length of the tollway.
Obviously this isn't exactly scientific reporting but the toll road authority in Houston is big business to the tune of 700 million/year in toll fees. They won't facilitate access to data if it results in a negative impression.
temp246810|9 years ago
If you consider how much we pay in taxes, as Americans we really don't get bang for the buck.
Our taxes are hidden behind sales taxes, service charges, tolls, included in fuel, it really adds up.
The toll thing is especially egregious IMO, considering there had been very little investment in this type of infrastructure and now we have to pay because the people who mishandled funds are long gone.
l1ambda|9 years ago
I would still argue that prices should be set however high whereas to eliminate congestion, even it is seems "too high", simply because there is a limit to how many lanes can be constructed and no amount of lanes can eliminate congestion due to induced demand. Then we must allow market forces to occur such that development and lifestyle patterns change, which takes time. Might as well bite the bullet now.
biehl|9 years ago
Symbiote|9 years ago
"When Stockholm, Sweden introduced a "congestion tax" to discourage driving in the center of town, traffic eased and the pollution level dropped by between 5 and 10 percent.
There was one other result that was unexpected, but welcome nonetheless: The rate of asthma attacks among local children decreased by nearly 50 percent, according to a Johns Hopkins University economist's study of the tax and its impact."
cosinetau|9 years ago
shiftpgdn|9 years ago
During peak hours the $8 toll makes almost no difference. The lanes remain just as jammed and on average you only save 5-10 minutes (less than 10% of the drive time) over the total length of the tollway.
Obviously this isn't exactly scientific reporting but the toll road authority in Houston is big business to the tune of 700 million/year in toll fees. They won't facilitate access to data if it results in a negative impression.