Congestion pricing: Can tolling be fair?
Tolls reduce congestion, but they price people off the roadway 4
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Posted 9:17 AM on 13 Nov 2008
by Clark Williams-Derry -
Posted in
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Clark Williams-Derry is research director for the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, a nonprofit sustainability think tank working to promote smart solutions for the Pacific Northwest. He was formerly the webmaster for Grist.
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human power Posted 5:22 pm
13 Nov 2008
Forgotten ASSumptions
Okay my fat-assed fellow Americans. You have neglected two of the biggest losers in this scheme: Cyclists and the environment. You see, by assuming that everyone travels by motorized conveyance, you neglect the impact on human-powered folks (you know, those folks who aren't morbidly obese like the typical American). By pushing the traffic off of the congested arteries and onto less-traveled streets, you push the cyclists off of the public roads completely. Great move! In short order everyone will be so unfit that no one can ever get anywhere without a steel wheelchair.
Why will no Americans accept the logical solution of non-tradeable fuel quotas. They are fair to all and can be ratcheted down over time to get us out of our unsustainable ways. They worked during WWII and can work again.
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Wilderness Terry Posted 2:04 am
14 Nov 2008
There's more to it than this
The cost of urban living is pushing lower-income people further into the 'burbs (suburbs, exurbs) where, as mentioned, transit is not a viable option. Also, many low-wage jobs require travel in early morning or night when in some urban areas there is no public transit at all. Then there are rural people (whose incomes are significantly lower than urban workers) who must occasionally come into the urban area for business. Once again, lower income people are completely omitted from the discussion, and PSRC is notorious for ignoring the problems of the working poor, for whom tolls are unfair. Especially when the well-to-do can afford tolls for luxury drives. Tolls simply exacerbate class disparities.
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WWAGD?! Posted 3:49 am
14 Nov 2008
Arrest Themselves
The backwards looking Statists of Seattle are trying to entrap more and more tax monies.
Like the tire repair person who puts nails on the road so he can "fix" the problem, the Bureaucrats do the following:
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Wolverine Posted 7:56 am
16 Nov 2008
Hey Destroy Wilderness Terry
Why don't you change your moniker to Worker, Working Class, or something else more appropriate to your comments. You obviously prioritize social concerns over the environment, and your moniker is an insult to those of us who actually advocate for wilderness and wildlife protection.
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