Re:The Streets Were Never Free. Congestion Pricing Finally M...
by scottie_m on Thursday April 04, 2019 @11:09AM
(#19573201)
If I’m wealthy and want my SUV motorcade to drive through NYC all day I can trivially afford it, even if my need asymptotically approaches zero. If I’m a desperate person working three jobs to support my family, I have a great need, and yet the tax is a hardship.
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Re:The Streets Were Never Free. Congestion Pricing Finally M...
by Declanomous on Thursday April 04, 2019 @11:40AM
(#19573601)
The fact that you'd need to even own a car to get to your job is a massive barrier for people with low incomes. The fact that we are spending money building roads that we could be spending on other social programs is way more harmful to the poor than any congestion tax could be.
If this congestion charge reduces traffic and makes buses run faster, it's possible that it would actually massively benefit poorer individuals.
Re:The Streets Were Never Free. Congestion Pricing Finally M...
by bobthepanda on Thursday April 04, 2019 @12:36PM
(#19574285)
Poor people in NYC do not even really own cars, and if they do they certainly don’t drive in Manhattan, where the cost of a parking spot is horrendous.
Re:The Streets Were Never Free. Congestion Pricing Finally M...
by CalRobert on Thursday April 04, 2019 @12:27PM
(#19574188)
Indeed - but as noted in the article, you'd likely be exempted in that situation, and having less congested streets on which to walk, cycle, take the bus, or drive would be a great benefit.
Re:The Streets Were Never Free. Congestion Pricing Finally M...
by p_roz on Thursday April 04, 2019 @11:56AM
(#19573817)
I think that the cost to the wealthy person is understated because of the opportunity cost of their time/resources. The fact that wealthy people don’t do this now without congestion pricing makes it unlikely that they would do so with an additional cost applied.