CityNerd | Why Congestion Pricing Is So Difficult: the Equity Problem of a Slam Dunk Urban Policy @CityNerd | Uploaded May 2022 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
It seems the US is finally on the verge of implementing true congestion pricing, in New York City. It's been a long road to get here, though, and it's not done yet -- so I thought this would be a good time to dig into some of the math that makes congestion pricing work, and why that math can lead to the kind of inequitable outcomes that make it politically difficult.
We'll review congestion pricing (the definition of which often overlaps with "road pricing," "value pricing," or just plain tolling) as a policy tool and discuss what it's intended to accomplish. Then we'll dive into the math behind the value proposition that makes congestion pricing "work" -- offering travelers valuable time at a potentially attractive price -- and we'll discuss why that proposition often disadvantages people who are already financially disadvantaged. Finally, we'll look at not only how different people might react to pricing differently, but how different kinds of trips might be viewed within the same household.
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Patreon - a new way to support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far!
patreon.com/CityNerd
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Twitter: @nerd4cities
Instagram: @nerd4cities
----------
Other CityNerd Videos referenced:
- The True Cost of Driving 2022: youtu.be/c2rI-5ZFW1E
- Cities for Bus Rapid Transit: youtu.be/YH0XdrD7Gnw
- Why Traffic Delay Grows Exponentially: youtu.be/cHSCmQnGH9Q
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Resources:
- npr.org/2019/05/07/720805841/city-dwellers-dont-like-the-idea-of-congestion-pricing-but-they-get-over-it
- reinventalbany.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Open-MTA-50-Actions-NY-Can-Take-to-Renew-Public-Trust-in-the-MTA.pdf
- c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-road-pricing-is-transforming-London-and-what-your-city-can-learn?language=en_US#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20year%20of,passenger%20numbers%20increased%20by%2038%25.
- nytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.htmlnytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.htmlnytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.html
- cssny.org/news/entry/congestion-pricing-outer-borough-new-yorkers-poverty-data-analysis
- baseball-reference.com/players/d/delahed01.shtml
- wsj.com/articles/toll-roads-tax-the-poor-11554851456
- nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/10/01/wealthy-manhattanites-whine-for-congestion-pricing-exemptions
- ny.curbed.com/2019/4/8/18299889/new-york-congestion-pricing-plan-exemptions
-
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Image Credits:
- Singapore ERP Zone By mailer_diablo - Self-taken (Unmodified), CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=440704
- Milan Area C By Ita140188 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19192425
- London Congestion Cordon By Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23419207
- Electric car charging Image by (Joenomias) Menno de Jong from Pixabay
- Car2Go Image by Marilyn Murphy from Pixabay
- LA Traffic Video by William Sevilla from Pixabay
- New York Traffic Video by Life-Of-Vids from Pixabay
- Golf course Video by Vimeo-Free-Videos from Pixabay
- London ULEZ sign By David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80765152
- Singapore gantry By VK35 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3797602
- Vehicle PNGs Image by R. tanu from Pixabay
- Motherboard Video by Jacob Abbott from Pixabay
- Port Authority Time Lapse Video by Daniel Carlton from Pixabay
- Personal Income Taxes Ver4 via Flickr user Chris Potter, ccPixs.com creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
- Fries Video by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
- Restaurant kitchen Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
- Supply Demand Chart By TE-Pricing-EquilibriumCongestion.png: DavidLevinsonderivative work: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) (added more information to show a different case) - This file was derived from: TE-Pricing-EquilibriumCongestion.png:, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29517257
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
----------
Contact: nerd4cities@gmail.com
It seems the US is finally on the verge of implementing true congestion pricing, in New York City. It's been a long road to get here, though, and it's not done yet -- so I thought this would be a good time to dig into some of the math that makes congestion pricing work, and why that math can lead to the kind of inequitable outcomes that make it politically difficult.
We'll review congestion pricing (the definition of which often overlaps with "road pricing," "value pricing," or just plain tolling) as a policy tool and discuss what it's intended to accomplish. Then we'll dive into the math behind the value proposition that makes congestion pricing "work" -- offering travelers valuable time at a potentially attractive price -- and we'll discuss why that proposition often disadvantages people who are already financially disadvantaged. Finally, we'll look at not only how different people might react to pricing differently, but how different kinds of trips might be viewed within the same household.
----------
Patreon - a new way to support continuing CityNerd output! Thanks to all who have signed up so far!
patreon.com/CityNerd
----------
Twitter: @nerd4cities
Instagram: @nerd4cities
----------
Other CityNerd Videos referenced:
- The True Cost of Driving 2022: youtu.be/c2rI-5ZFW1E
- Cities for Bus Rapid Transit: youtu.be/YH0XdrD7Gnw
- Why Traffic Delay Grows Exponentially: youtu.be/cHSCmQnGH9Q
----------
Resources:
- npr.org/2019/05/07/720805841/city-dwellers-dont-like-the-idea-of-congestion-pricing-but-they-get-over-it
- reinventalbany.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Open-MTA-50-Actions-NY-Can-Take-to-Renew-Public-Trust-in-the-MTA.pdf
- c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-road-pricing-is-transforming-London-and-what-your-city-can-learn?language=en_US#:~:text=In%20the%20first%20year%20of,passenger%20numbers%20increased%20by%2038%25.
- nytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.htmlnytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.htmlnytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20colwe.html
- cssny.org/news/entry/congestion-pricing-outer-borough-new-yorkers-poverty-data-analysis
- baseball-reference.com/players/d/delahed01.shtml
- wsj.com/articles/toll-roads-tax-the-poor-11554851456
- nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/10/01/wealthy-manhattanites-whine-for-congestion-pricing-exemptions
- ny.curbed.com/2019/4/8/18299889/new-york-congestion-pricing-plan-exemptions
-
----------
Image Credits:
- Singapore ERP Zone By mailer_diablo - Self-taken (Unmodified), CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=440704
- Milan Area C By Ita140188 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19192425
- London Congestion Cordon By Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23419207
- Electric car charging Image by (Joenomias) Menno de Jong from Pixabay
- Car2Go Image by Marilyn Murphy from Pixabay
- LA Traffic Video by William Sevilla from Pixabay
- New York Traffic Video by Life-Of-Vids from Pixabay
- Golf course Video by Vimeo-Free-Videos from Pixabay
- London ULEZ sign By David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80765152
- Singapore gantry By VK35 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3797602
- Vehicle PNGs Image by R. tanu from Pixabay
- Motherboard Video by Jacob Abbott from Pixabay
- Port Authority Time Lapse Video by Daniel Carlton from Pixabay
- Personal Income Taxes Ver4 via Flickr user Chris Potter, ccPixs.com creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
- Fries Video by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
- Restaurant kitchen Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
- Supply Demand Chart By TE-Pricing-EquilibriumCongestion.png: DavidLevinsonderivative work: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) (added more information to show a different case) - This file was derived from: TE-Pricing-EquilibriumCongestion.png:, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29517257
----------
Music:
CityNerd background: Caipirinha in Hawaii by Carmen María and Edu Espinal (YouTube music library)
----------
Contact: nerd4cities@gmail.com
