Comments on: Stockholm Voters Approve Congestion Charging http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bryn http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/comment-page-1/#comment-4905 Bryn Sun, 24 Sep 2006 18:37:08 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/#comment-4905 To pay for riding in the city; of course I'm saying yes. Why should rich people have the right to pollute the earth, when I have to ride bus or sub? If you move from the city you work in or where the opera is, then you have sayed no to vote for or aganinst city-based problems and solutions. People need to take a choice that cost; if not there will never be changes: Will you pay more for you liberty to get fast to work or are you not. To pay for riding in the city; of course I’m saying yes.
Why should rich people have the right to pollute the earth, when I have to ride bus or sub?
If you move from the city you work in or where the opera is, then you have sayed no to vote for or aganinst city-based problems and solutions.
People need to take a choice that cost; if not there will never be changes: Will you pay more for you liberty to get fast to work or are you not.

]]> By: Nicolo Macchiavelli http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/comment-page-1/#comment-4560 Nicolo Macchiavelli Wed, 20 Sep 2006 01:30:13 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/#comment-4560 I personally liked the citizenry losing a social democratic government to the right wing (probably some sort of Christian Democrat formation though I know nothing about Sweden) after the "help" of the greens. Sounds like Germany, or the US 2000. Is Nader Swedish? I thought he was Lebanese. I personally liked the citizenry losing a social democratic government to the right wing (probably some sort of Christian Democrat formation though I know nothing about Sweden) after the “help” of the greens. Sounds like Germany, or the US 2000. Is Nader Swedish? I thought he was Lebanese.

]]> By: Glenn http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/comment-page-1/#comment-4535 Glenn Tue, 19 Sep 2006 18:59:53 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/09/19/stockholm-votes-for-congestion-charge-and-its-opponents/#comment-4535 He's right. Congestion pricing is hard. It crosses ideologic, geographic, economic frameworks in strange ways. It forces folks to make hard decisions that they would rather avoid. Take a 100% red blooded libertarian free marketer, an outerborough transit worker and a suburban housewife as three examples of people I could imagine going either way on this: City Libertarian: PRO: Let a price signal reduce lower value traffic to allow access to the limited space on the roads. CON: People should be able to travel freely without government interference. Outerborough Transit Worker: PRO: More work for mass transit guys like me, maybe better pay? CON: I mostly drive a car on the weekends and I want to go into the city when I feel like it. Suburban Housewife: PRO: When I do travel through or to the city, the streets will be less crowded. CON: But I'll have to pay for something I can now do for free. It's all about framing it as a win-win for as many people as possible, not a trade-off. It's possible, but only with strong leadership and courage. Something I see little of in the City Council on these issues. If Bloomberg wants to do this, he needs Quinn, Spitzer, Silver, Bruno (or whoever takes the Senate), all the borough presidents, etc and have them explain that this is the right thing and how they've hammered out the best compromise possible to make this a win-win. It takes leadership and courage. But that's what we should expect from our elected officials. He’s right. Congestion pricing is hard. It crosses ideologic, geographic, economic frameworks in strange ways. It forces folks to make hard decisions that they would rather avoid. Take a 100% red blooded libertarian free marketer, an outerborough transit worker and a suburban housewife as three examples of people I could imagine going either way on this:

City Libertarian:
PRO: Let a price signal reduce lower value traffic to allow access to the limited space on the roads.
CON: People should be able to travel freely without government interference.

Outerborough Transit Worker:
PRO: More work for mass transit guys like me, maybe better pay?
CON: I mostly drive a car on the weekends and I want to go into the city when I feel like it.

Suburban Housewife:
PRO: When I do travel through or to the city, the streets will be less crowded.
CON: But I’ll have to pay for something I can now do for free.

It’s all about framing it as a win-win for as many people as possible, not a trade-off. It’s possible, but only with strong leadership and courage. Something I see little of in the City Council on these issues. If Bloomberg wants to do this, he needs Quinn, Spitzer, Silver, Bruno (or whoever takes the Senate), all the borough presidents, etc and have them explain that this is the right thing and how they’ve hammered out the best compromise possible to make this a win-win. It takes leadership and courage. But that’s what we should expect from our elected officials.

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