Two months ago, I posted 'Congestion Charge' saying that New York City was toying with the idea of charging cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter Manhattan's business district, other U.S. cities are also interested in the idea.
This week, the federal government stepped in with $354m in federal aid to launch what would be the first congestion pricing plan in the US. Such a system is in use in London and Singapore.
The federal dollars are more aimed at building up public transportation to give people a reason to want to get out of their cars. New York City has to come up with additional funding to implement the fees for driving downtown during prime time. I am curious to see how they will implement a fee system without creating congestion.
Consumers hate taxes and fees, however money is the primary motivation in a free market economy. It is why people save gas when it is expensive and use more the following week when the price goes down. Personally, I would rather take the train to Manhattan any day.
Commuters spend an average of 49 hours a year stuck in traffic in lower Manhattan, up from 18 hours in 1982. msnbc.com
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