Seattle Considering Tolls On Downtown Streets To Help With Traffic Congestion

[WhatInThe]

Some cities considering putting tolls on downtown roads using a practice called congestion pricing. Seattle is one actively considering it.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-mayor-wants-a-tolling-plan-to-reduce-traffic-congestion-greenhouse-gases/


New York the only other American city to think about it. But it has been implemented in Europe and cities like London.

 

[Mizzkitt]

I would have to know how well it is working out in cities like London before I gave it a thumbs up. I do like the idea of eliminating some pollution.

 

[Sunny]

It would depend on which downtown streets, and who would be most impacted. I lived for years on an island in Puget Sound. The only way of getting there was by ferry, which leaves from a dock in downtown Seattle. If that area was subject to a toll, all the people who live on one of those islands would be taxed every time they come into or leave the city! And there are lots of people living on the islands who commute to work in Seattle and points east. (That's where Microsoft is, for example.)

I think this would be opening a can of worms. What about cities where the poorest neighborhoods are only accessible through downtown driving? Not everybody has convenient alternatives.

 

[Don M.]

As urban populations continue to grow, and suburbs continue to expand, traffic problems...especially during rush hours...will only get worse. Convenient and efficient mass transit exists in only a fraction of most cities, and most people have little choice to rely on their cars to get to/from work, etc. Most cities/states have to rely on gasoline taxes for road construction/maintenance...but with far more fuel efficient vehicles than years ago, the taxes have Not kept up with demand. The Best solution, IMO, is to levy a "miles driven" tax/surcharge on vehicles. If people knew that they would have to report their mileage every year, and pay accordingly, they might begin to consider consolidating their driving trips and vehicle usage more efficiently....rather than driving to the store just to get a loaf of bread.

 

[Butterfly]

I think it's a bad idea, likely to drive customers/clients away from downtown businesses and be a hardship on employees of those same businesses, who would have to pay higher wages to offset the tolls or have a very hard time finding employees. Downtown employees are probably already paying to park down there -- add a toll on the streets and I believe a lot of people would just go elsewhere for work.