Putting a price on road space seems like a good idea but some analysts argue it could actually increase the amount of driving. In fact there’s a point of view that says it would be better to promote traffic congestion.
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CONGESTION PRICING
Why is road pricing a good idea?
I’m not aware of anyone who disagrees seriously with the contention that car travel is underpriced. The consequence of this inefficiency is we drive more than we otherwise would and more than is socially optimal. The idea of road pricing is that drivers should pay the real costs they impose on others through traffic congestion, [...]
READ MOREIs there a case for freeways?
I’ve concluded before that the most plausible scenario in the forseeable future is that cars will continue to be used for the majority of trips in Australian cities. Increasingly, these cars will tend to be powered by clean energy sources and will be slower and more civilised than today’s vehicles. I expect growth in public [...]
READ MOREHow to charge for the Big Day Out?
47,000 tickets for the Big Day Out at Flemington race course sold out within minutes of going on sale at 9am on Friday. Tickets for the Sydney and Gold Coast events also sold out in record time. The organisers have arranged an additional event in Sydney (tickets on sale October 11). The issue of how [...]
READ MOREShould public transport users pay their way?
The peak industry body, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia, got itself into hot water with the media last week. The Forum suggested in a new report, Meeting the funding challenges of public transport, that eligibility for concession fares should be drastically restricted. The brouhaha was unfortunate because the Forum’s underlying contention – that public transport [...]
READ MOREWill providing better transit be enough to cope with city growth?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but you can’t increase public transport’s share of travel significantly unless you simultaneously do something about cars. Yet this simple relationship is usually ignored by governments and lobbyists alike. Back on 23 August I looked at the question of how our cities could grow larger but still be liveable. Public transport [...]
READ MOREHow to pay for public transport?
I was pleased to see the call earlier this week by The Age’s city editor, Jason Dowling, for tolling of roads to be introduced in Melbourne (Losing our way on roads). He sees it as a way to reduce congestion and generate revenue for public transport improvements. Road pricing is something I’ve advocated on a [...]
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