Thursday, October 15, 2009

London Congestion relief, an age old story


Forbes reports on the success of the London congestion price system for London. The story is standard. Listen to the quotes:

"Congestion in London's central business district got very bad a few years ago. So bad, went the wisecrack, that the average travel speed of 8mph in the 1890s (by horse) was now, in the era of the automobile, still 8mph."

Review the Asha Elizabeth Weinstein dissertation about Boston transportation development from 1890 to 1925. Very interesting, the same quotes about New York in 1880 and Boston 1922. Search the link.

Note the solution to the London problem, adapt technology to synchronize traffic. They use license plate cameras to bill users.

A common pattern. Information technology expands and pressures transportation. Transportation follows and utilizes the information technology pathways.

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