Tuesday, August 24, 2010

More on SF congestion pricing

Metropolitan Planning Council reports good news on San Francisco congestion pricing:

BATA recently released a report highlighting the results since congestion pricing took effect in the region. Although it may be too early to draw conclusions from the data, one thing is for certain: Since the onset of congestion pricing, peak-hour traffic at the Bay Bridge has moved twice as quickly as it did at this same time last year. The maximum delay on the bridge has dropped from 19 minutes to 10 minutes. These reductions are likely due to both a drop in the number of drivers as well as to the shift in the time they cross the bridge, to avoid paying an extra $2. An additional side effect of the pricing is an increase in mass transit ridership. Since the start of pricing on the bridges, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has reported an increase of 4,500 passengers a day both into and out of the city. Overall, crossings have fallen by 9,821 vehicles a day compared with a similar period last year, and full-paying fares are up 2,305 a day. The new toll schedule is predicted to generate an additional $165 million a year, much of which will be channeled back into local infrastructure. The goal of congestion pricing is to reduce both travel delays and greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously improving public transit systems and driver experiences. San Francisco is off to a good start.

Comnpare that to China's nine day long traffic jams.

The economy observes the constraints on transportation, both caused and solved by digital technology. The growth, folks, is here now, in intelligent transportation and all of its side effects.

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