Just weeks before the plan was set to take effect, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an indefinite delay in implementing congestion pricing in Manhattan.
Beyond demographic and geographic inequalities in the costs and benefits of congestion pricing, another challenge in securing voter support is the asymmetric timing of the impacts. Voters in the greater NY metro area were being asked to accept the IMMEDIATE and painfully measurable costs of congestion pricing starting at the stroke of midnight, June 30 in exchange for the PROMISE of cleaner air, less congestion and better MTA systems in the indefinite future. Widespread low confidence in the MTA (and government institutions in general) only hurt the cause.
Not surprisingly, congestion pricing was able to be implemented in Singapore with more authoritarian government rule and Stockholm (and to a lesser extent London) with more social democratic voter sensibilities.
Perhaps NYC can take another run at congestion pricing AFTER the November city/state/national elections.
Curious if you think it’s a parallel with how we should think about regulating nutrition?
Perhaps food using monsanto preservatives, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, etc should face be taxed and that money should subsidize cheaper healthier foods. And the tax would ideally ideally be equivalent to ~ healthcare costs that they’ll afflict to an end consumer over time
With regards to the MTA, it seems like a classic chicken-and-egg problem—it probably needs significant funding or restructuring to make it a pleasant experience, and initiatives like congestion pricing aimed at providing those funds are being written off because of the subpar experience. I'm not sure what you think, but the cynic in me feels that the quality of the MTA and the other reasons you listed in the disadvantages section are largely a red herring for the myriad of other reasons listed in the politics section.
I guess I've been spoiled by my two years living with Hong Kong's MTR.
Beyond demographic and geographic inequalities in the costs and benefits of congestion pricing, another challenge in securing voter support is the asymmetric timing of the impacts. Voters in the greater NY metro area were being asked to accept the IMMEDIATE and painfully measurable costs of congestion pricing starting at the stroke of midnight, June 30 in exchange for the PROMISE of cleaner air, less congestion and better MTA systems in the indefinite future. Widespread low confidence in the MTA (and government institutions in general) only hurt the cause.
Not surprisingly, congestion pricing was able to be implemented in Singapore with more authoritarian government rule and Stockholm (and to a lesser extent London) with more social democratic voter sensibilities.
Perhaps NYC can take another run at congestion pricing AFTER the November city/state/national elections.
I agree. Show the voters you are making changes, and then raise funds to deepen these improvements.
Curious if you think it’s a parallel with how we should think about regulating nutrition?
Perhaps food using monsanto preservatives, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, etc should face be taxed and that money should subsidize cheaper healthier foods. And the tax would ideally ideally be equivalent to ~ healthcare costs that they’ll afflict to an end consumer over time
I think this is being attempted in multiple countries (or cities). Soda taxes are not uncommon: https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-state-and-local-soda-taxes-work#:~:text=No%20state%20currently%20has%20an,%2C%20Oakland%2C%20and%20San%20Francisco. The issue is that they are usually viewed as regressive taxes as well.
With regards to the MTA, it seems like a classic chicken-and-egg problem—it probably needs significant funding or restructuring to make it a pleasant experience, and initiatives like congestion pricing aimed at providing those funds are being written off because of the subpar experience. I'm not sure what you think, but the cynic in me feels that the quality of the MTA and the other reasons you listed in the disadvantages section are largely a red herring for the myriad of other reasons listed in the politics section.
I guess I've been spoiled by my two years living with Hong Kong's MTR.
I think the unfairness of the tax is a real issue by itself, even outside the confines on the political issue. But I agree in general.