Why isn't there a congestion tax? (Austin, Portland: middle-class, new construction, subsidized)

[veloman777]

Cities in Europe put a tax/toll on auto drivers in congested areas to address the traffic and air pollution issue. Why don't American cities do this?

I just got back from dropping a friend off at UT for the Megabus, using my car. It took 40 minutes to go from Cherryood to 21st/Whitis and back. I would estimate my car was idling for 25 minutes. Most of the trip I was inhaling exhaust because I had my windows down.

How people can go day in and day out using a personal automobile in traffic, and not feel inclined to choose a better mode, is beyond me.

I was going to use my tandem electric bike to drop my friend off, but he preferred the car.

[hoffdano]

It is a gross overstatement to say cities in Europe do this. London does. Stockholm does. Milan does. But not many others.

As you should expect (but you apparently don't) - lots and lots of people don't like taxes. And a tax like this probably ends up making it easier for people with money to park their cars in these cities. It is those with less money who end up not in the congestion areas.

[verybadgnome]

Impossible to do this here in the US at this time.

A better solution would be to lessen parking requirements for new construction and let the private sector handle the demand. Employers could do their part by not making paid parking a mandatory entitlement. They should either offer a rebate to employees who do not use parking or make parking part of an a la carte benefits package.

Unfortunately the mindset in the US is you have to provide free, i.e. subsidized, parking. In reality parking - something that requires taxable land and infrastructure - is never "free."

[passionatearts]

Originally Posted by veloman777

Cities in Europe put a tax/toll on auto drivers in congested areas to address the traffic and air pollution issue. Why don't American cities do this?

I just got back from dropping a friend off at UT for the Megabus, using my car. It took 40 minutes to go from Cherryood to 21st/Whitis and back. I would estimate my car was idling for 25 minutes. Most of the trip I was inhaling exhaust because I had my windows down.

How people can go day in and day out using a personal automobile in traffic, and not feel inclined to choose a better mode, is beyond me.

I was going to use my tandem electric bike to drop my friend off, but he preferred the car.

Until gas costs $8 - 10/gallon in the U.S. like it does in Europe, there will never be a big enough incentive for people in most U.S. cities to seriously consider living without cars. Even if one made a conscious effort to go carless right now, most cities don't have the public transportation infrastructure and density to make that an easy decision.

On top of that, the culture in the U.S. is too car-centric and too anti-tax for a congestion tax to stand any chance of passing even in the most congested cities.

P.S. If you think Austin is bad, you haven't seen anything! Try getting around in Los Angeles or Washington D.C. if you want to see horrible traffic.

[bobbatoo]

A few years ago there was a lot of talk about doing this in New York City. It never happened.

[Tralfaz]

Originally Posted by bobbatoo

A few years ago there was a lot of talk about doing this in New York City. It never happened.

It would be far more likely to happen in NY, Portland or SF than anywhere in Texas.

Thankfully.

[FrozenCucumber]

Originally Posted by bobbatoo

A few years ago there was a lot of talk about doing this in New York City. It never happened.

Increases in tolls and parking rates are a pseudo tax for me in manhattan. I once stored a car in NY for $500/month. Ouch. I only did it one month, but still.

[centralaustinite]

it will eventually happen in the US, probably NYC first or DC, during the next decade, who knows when (or ever) it will happen in Austin.

[ImOnFiya]

We live in Texas. If you want a congestion tax, there is Mayor Bloomberg's NYC (where the Mayor and other 'liberal-riche' Manhattanites have wanted it for years). However, [understandably] there is strong resistance from middle-class New Yorkers from the outer boroughs. By the way, when are you moving out of Texas?

[steve78757]

Originally Posted by veloman777

Cities in Europe put a tax/toll on auto drivers in congested areas to address the traffic and air pollution issue. Why don't American cities do this?

I just got back from dropping a friend off at UT for the Megabus, using my car. It took 40 minutes to go from Cherryood to 21st/Whitis and back. I would estimate my car was idling for 25 minutes. Most of the trip I was inhaling exhaust because I had my windows down.

How people can go day in and day out using a personal automobile in traffic, and not feel inclined to choose a better mode, is beyond me.

I was going to use my tandem electric bike to drop my friend off, but he preferred the car.

Yeah good question. Why don't we get taxed more? They do need to add another one. Excellent idea.