Comments on: Today’s Headlines

By: Vroomfondel

Vroomfondel — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:35:37 +0000

Mark,
As I said, I’m all in favor of congestion pricing. My only concerns about CP are that the zone is too small and the fee is too low. My whole point is that there are all sorts of good arguments for CP, but the unabated popularity of overpriced luxury cars ain’t one;)

By the way, I’m wondering whether the Audi salesman I quoted above will get a stern letter from corporate HQ. Admitting that Audi buyers don’t need transportation is like admitting that SUV buyers don’t need off-road capabilities — blasphemy!

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:12:02 +0000

Vroom, interesting nuances, and I won’t be foolish enough to argue against them. But don’t forget the other side of CP: Even if the wealthy continue driving, they’ll pay to beef up transit.

By: Vroomfondel

Vroomfondel — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:57:44 +0000

Mark,
I’m all in favor of congestion pricing, but I don’t think it’ll affect the driving habits of affluent New Yorkers. That’s okay, though, because the luxury cars that are still selling don’t contribute much to congestion. As the general manager of Audi Manhattan puts it in the NYT article, “We don’t sell cars to people that need transportation.” In other words, those cars are expensive toys that are neither intended nor bought for the daily commute.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:52:34 +0000

To be fair to the cab drivers (which is a group I rarely stick up for), their complaints about the shift to hybrids seem to be largely about the fact that there literally aren’t enough hybrids available for them to purchase, or enough parts available for them to maintain.

By: Mark Walker

Mark Walker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:43:04 +0000

Times: “Yet, while some [car] dealerships on 11th Avenue are struggling, many others are reporting record sales.”

In other words, affluent New York drivers will be the last to adjust their driving habits to costlier gas. This is why we need congestion pricing.