San Fancisco congestion problems

Good reporting by City Fix about the SF congestion pricing debate just beginning.

According to the Advisory [On congestion pricing] Committee’s memo:

• “On average, peak-period travel times are about twice as long as in the off-peak”
• “In 2005 alone, San Francisco sacrificed over $2 billion in lost time and out-of-pocket costs such as excess fuel for individuals and commercial transportation.”
• “Transportation is responsible for about half of greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco, with 47 percent of the total contributed by private automobiles”

A good article from SFGate about congestion pricing in the city:

"Planners are still considering where to collect the tolls. Initially, they considered establishing a downtown zone - a twin triangle area bounded by Washington, Jones, Turk and Harrison streets and Van Ness Avenue. Then they looked at charging fees at the city's major gateways: the Bay and Golden Gate bridges, Highway 101 and Interstate 280.

But the downtown zone was too small, and drivers would just avoid it, causing problems in adjacent neighborhoods, Bent said. And charging at the gateways would reduce traffic from outside San Francisco but might end up encouraging more driving among city residents, she said."

My comment.

Technology being deployed today would allow the city to charge variable rates for various parts of the city at various times. Not only that, we can give drivers a cue about pricing in real time. Not only that, the city should share pricing data with on-line commute and freight planners. Car owners who obtain the standard device will soon get an insurance discount. Traffic accidents likely will drop by a third. Transportation costs drop in the trade off between congestion fees and delivery delay. The on time rate for all traffic, public and private, will increase. BRT is a natural outcome. Whichever city implements a successful ITS network will reap large gains. San Francisco teamed with Silicon Valley?