Congestion Pricing in NYC

I generally agree - transit is broadly disliked in car-centric America for a wide range of reasons. Although complaining about the cost of building it out and operating it while roads are similarly expensive capital-wise and - outside of hated toll roads - nothing but maintenance liabilities is a curious blind spot.

But we sure do love our cars, and as individualists we further love the mobile private spaces they represent.

I do see potential for needle-shifting as car ownership becomes increasingly untenable for younger generations. In Dallas - a city with summer seasons lasting upwards of 6 months and a built environment outright hostile to pedestrians and cyclists - Iā€™m seeing a notable uptick in people genuinely commuting by bicycle and scooter because they canā€™t afford a car yet less-desirable micro-mobility is a better option than inefficient to nonexistent transit.

Younger generations also donā€™t have the romantic attachment to cars that prior generations do. Theyā€™ve been inaccessible things they associate with air pollution and older generationsā€™ many undesirable traits. I gather the enthusiasm for seeking driverā€™s licenses has declined over the years; modern risk-averse parenting also seems to further limit opportunities to drive.

Whether this results in substantial change is of course unknown.

Or incentivizing work from home to cut down on rush hour traffic and the attendant design around peak demand. I can work from home anywhere with internet connectivity - and did for 4 years post-pandemic - yet in 2023 employer bought a swank new office building (nowhere near prior locations) and instituted a 4 days in office mandate start of 2024 all so people can attend Teams meetings in a common location.

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From this desktop it looks as if people will Beetch about it at $9 instead of the original $15 (Bait number) so now they say, well at least it isnā€™t the $15.

But it WILL be $15 within 3-4 years, Big Money always gets what it wants/needs.
This is no different than all the Smokers who said ā€œIā€™m quitting when they hit $5-10-?ā€

They never did, ā€¦ or they did for like 3 days and then caved.:slight_smile:
We love our cars and our freedom. And there is nothing wrong with that.
You just find another method to skimp.

Later,
Muto

Now that the system is in place, expect it to go up almost every year.

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Itā€™s going to increase, but as a staged approach. The $9 will jump to $12 and then to $15.

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