July 3, 2008
Expensive Gas Easing City's Traffic
Mayor Bloomberg’s ambitious congestion pricing plan may be toast (or Governor Paterson may bring it back from the dead) but it seems that skyrocketing gas prices are succeeded where Hizzoner failed. The Times is reporting that traffic on the city’s bridges and tunnels dropped 4.7 percent in June, compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile, subway, bus, bicycle and commuter rail ridership has surged. A transportaion consultant predicts that “if we start eclipsing $5 a gallon, which we might over the summer, I think we might get very close,” to reducing traffic in Manhattan by 6.3 percent, which was the goal for Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. Go peak oil!
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With any luck, higher food prices will lead to a decrease in obesity as well. Poor people who can't afford things are a boon to our society.
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"traffic on the city’s bridges and tunnels dropped 4.7 percent in June."
Is that compared to June '07 or a month to month drop?
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"compared to the same time last year."
Please READ before asking stupid questions.
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Nationwide, fuel consumption has been off by about the same amount. 5% is huge and if this trend continues, we may actually start driving as much as most people in other countries who don't hop in the car just to get the mail out of their mailboxes.
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Not the bridge and tunnel revenue loss. I guess the PA will just have to jack up the tolls to cover it.
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It would be great if only four cars a day passed through the paid bridges and tunnels. Who knows perhaps all those lazy mf's that work for the PA will start working on the new World Trade Center.