Chronicle: Congestion Pricing Plan “Half-Baked”
The Chronicle editorializes against congestion pricing today, calling the plan “half-baked” despite ample experience elsequere in the world (London, Singapore, Stockholm) that congestion pricing reduces traffic and speeds up mass transit.
The Chronicle even cites increased transit usage as a disadvantage of the plan! To quote: “[T]he second intended effect – nudging drivers into public transit – may further burden overtaxed systems such as BART and Muni, which can be inconvenient, unreliable and jammed.” But that’s the whole point – to get discretionary drivers to switch to mass transit, and at the same time reduce delays that cause that mass transit to run slowly. By speeding up service, San Francisco would be able to provide more service for the same money, surely a high priority in these difficult economic times.
Rescue Muni continues to support some form of congestion pricing in downtown SF. We hope the Supervisors will take seriously the concerns raised about this proposal – but not back down from a proven way to improve service for Muni’s 700,000 daily riders AND SF’s motorists, who will experience reduced traffic when they do choose to drive.
This on the backs of service cuts on BART and whispers I’ve been hearing about Muni cuts. The funding from congestion pricing needs to cover transit service, but if any of the papers I’ve read on congestion pricing are any indication, such programs only cover the cost of implementing and running them.
Congestion pricing seems un-American. Everyone, regardless of income, should have equal access to public streets.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind it if my automobile trip downtown was a little faster and it was easier to find a parking space on the street. I would pay the price. However, most of my automobile travel downtown is between commute hours when there is little congestion so congestion pricing may not improve travel time after all. I would guess the primary benefit would be easier parking if commute traffic were reduced. But most commuters park in a lot or garage so I am not sure about street parking.
Where did you get the information that congestion pricing speeds up mass transit? Not from the London report. Traffic is down but congestion has returned to former levels and there is more congestion outside the congestion pricing zone. Buses can be moved faster without congestion pricing by giving them priority. But it does not appear the congestion pricing has overburdened mass transit has the Chronicle suggests.