I personally believe this Congestion Plan to be ridiculous. Just think about all the tilt that would immediately arise from this plan. I understand that the city needs a source of revenue, but charging drivers to drive in Manhattan is just absurd. Even though driving is often said to be a privilege, it shouldn't be a payment of any kind.
What are your thoughts on this new Congestion Plan? Do you think this plan will improve traffic flow in Manhattan? How would the residents and tourists respond to this plan?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/nyregion/driving-manhattan-congestion-traffic.html
8 comments:
Despite heavy traffic in Manhattan, I believe that this Congestion Plan will not work because of public backlash. Charging people $11.52 is not conventional because either way, people have to take those routes to go to work or other commitments. Since driving is the most convenient form of transportation, it is highly unlikely that people will stop driving altogether or lessen the amount they drive. Residents might be in favor because there will be less traffic where they live, but it will also cost them too if they drive. People are resistant if it involves changing a daily routine.
While the roads are affected by major congestion, charging for the access of public roads will probably count as violation of human rights. Congestion is usually due to people needing to get to work, and making those people pay for getting there probably will discourage a lot of people from working in the first place. I would predict workers going on strike until the fee is lifted if this Congestion Plan actually passes.
I strongly disagree with the statement that "charging for the access of public roads will probably count as violation of human rights". If this were the case, then tens of thousands of human rights violations are going on right here in the Bay Area, every day, as drivers cross the San Mateo Bridge, Bay Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Tolls are not unethical, for they provide critical revenue required to maintain national infrastructure. Former authors have expressed concerns that imposing taxes upon vehicle entry into Manhattan is inconvenient, since driving is the most convenient means of transport. Let me be clear- in the city of New York and Manhattan, driving is not the most efficient means of transportation. Heavy vehicular traffic strangles the highways that roll throughout the city, whereas the Metro subway underground rapidly shuttles passengers throughout New York. The Metro subway system is much more efficient than driving in Manhattan, and is our nation's largest transit system that serves the most passengers every day. Yet the Metro system is aging, having been around for multiple decades. Substantial repairs are needed for the Metro subway system. If New York Metro does not receive the funding it requires to renovate the system ,the trains will crumble will increasing delays, and the vehicular traffic in New York City will only worsen and deteriorate, causing great frustration and tilt from drivers. The solution we need now is to implement a toll on driving into Manhattan. If commuters do not want to pay the toll, they have the alternative to ride the Metro. They will save gas money, reduce carbon emissions from the environment, and may even experience a faster commute than if they were to drive through street traffic. Implementing the $11 toll on driving into Manhattan is a robust, intelligent strategy that needs to be implemented now.
Congestion is obviously an issue in Manhattan, but by charging drivers to drive won't fix the problem. I disagree with the comment above because public transportation is already impacted enough in New York and that why people have to drive. Even if all drivers decided to take public transportation after the fee is put into place, the new problem would be the overfilling of people on subways and the metro.
I believe that charging drivers will fix the issue with congestion. Many people will not want to pay the fee and therefore will find other routes to follow. Although it may work, I don't believe it would be fair to charge that much to simply cross Manhattan. If these are the true fees, then people will be outraged.
I think that this congestion plan will be quite effective in lowering traffic as well as helping the environment. Although I disagree with the measure and will probably have significant backlash, it will likely lower the amount of individual drivers and cars in Manhattan. With buses the subway being so convenient and relatively affordable, I am sure that people will resort to other forms of transportation.
I don't think charging drivers is going to be the most effective way to reduce congestion because people still need to get to work or other places, the congestion will either go to buses or the subway. Also the buses/subway does not take drivers to their exact location so driving will still be necessary for most people.
There would be lots of backlash if this new rule were to be implemented, which is the main reason as to why it probably won't happen. I think in terms of how effective the rule would be, it would be best if we looked at previous examples of this rule being implemented in congested cities. Since there are multiple examples of something like this being used, the impact of this rule can be seen, but that still will not stop the enormous backlash.
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