Saturday, November 18, 2006

Contested Streets- New York and San Francisco look to the European model

San Francisco and New York are studying congestion pricing, a scheme that charges people to drive into central cities and turns the revenue over to transit, ped and bike improvements. The system has been successfully used in London for the last three years.

Contested Streets is a new film that shows how the European model might point the way towards humanizing American cities.

Watch the trailer or
go to Bikescape in itunes

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am quite skeptical of any successes. Motor vehicles in the USA are regarded as much a personal right as religion. Any more taxes to use their vehicles above those they already pay will be regarded as fighting words and the death of the career of the messenger(s). Add to this attitude the lobbying influence of the USA energy and motor vehicle manufacturers and it is very unlikely any surcharge/tax (or limited access to city driving) will come to pass. Would I like to see it happen? Damn right I would. I've been to London often enough to know that the English tolerance for personal sacrifice for the better public good is more developed than their American counterpart(s).