Street View: Justin Davidson

Yes, You Should Pay to Drive in Manhattan London's 20-year experiment shows us how to carry it off

TWO THINGS NEW YORKERS can agree on: There’s too much traffic, and it’s someone else’s fault. I’ve listened to cabbies blame bike lanes for gobbling up space, been yelled at by drivers for crossing the street, heard passengers fulminate at immobilized buses, and found myself biking in a narrowing slot canyon between SUVs. Congestion pricing, that euphemism for a midtown and lower Manhattan vehicular-entry fee, will finally mitigate the snarl and maybe even quell the snarling. I was in favor of the Bloomberg administration’s first proposal back in 2007, and we need it even more urgently now. The essence is simple: Make drivers subsidize public transit. In a well-tuned system, the relatively few who must—or feel they must—steer their vehicles into Manhattan, anywhere from Central Park to Battery Park, will pay for the privilege. The money helps improve the experience of millions who arrive on foot or by train, bus, ferry, or bike. The toll also lightens traffic (but not too much), which makes driving more enjoyable (but not too enjoyable) and purifies the air. Everybody wins. The environmental-assessment hurdles have finally been cleared and federal approval is likely within weeks, meaning the first tolls could be collected next spring.