Love New York? Entrance Fee Only $8

In A New York Minute?

Enjoy sitting in traffic? Great, now pay for your enjoyment. Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York has proposed to charge an $8 congestion fee to drivers who drive into Manhattan during peak hours (6am-6pm). The idea is that more people would travel via mass transit to shop and commute. In fact, the revenues from fees would be used to improve mass transit.

This is a toughy. I went back and forth on this proposal.

Back: People would be deterred from coming into the city, and would shop elsewhere.

Forth: I held off from moving to LA because I was so afraid of the traffic.

Back: Isn't mass transit near capacity during peak hours? I was packed on that subway everyday.

Forth: Maybe they could open new transit lines with the revenue they generate.

Back: We pay so much as it is. Big hit to struggling residents outside the city.

Forth: We pay so much in air quality.

Other cities like London use it with some success, but I have to say, in the end I fall into the "nay" category when it's comes to the $8 daily. I dunno, coupled with the "Back" arguments, it just feels a little uninviting. Can't we create more positive incentives for people to be green? For example, why did we get rid of tax rebates with Priuses (Pri-i?)

Just this humble blogger's opinion. I would love to hear your thoughts.

-Sanjiv