Arctic News: Congestion Pricing

Showing posts with label Congestion Pricing. Show all posts

Friday, February 21, 2025

Congestion Pricing in New York

Since January 5, 2025, vehicles are being tolled to enter the Congestion Relief Zone in Manhattan South, New York, under the Congestion Pricing Program of the City of New York.

On February 19, 2025, the federal government, through the Department of Transportation, stated its disapproval of the program. A WhiteHouse social media post shows a TIME magazine-style cover featuring Trump wearing a crown with the text 'Congestion pricing is dead. Long live the king!'

In a news release, Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber respond. 'This is an attack on our sovereign identity, our independence from Washington. This is what we fought for: To set up a system where we are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington. So this is the fight we're in. It's all about our sovereignty', says Kathy Hochul.

The War for Independence from the British Monarchy ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris, in which 'His Brittanic Majesty' acknowledges the United States to be free sovereign and Independent States. This was followed by the United States Constitution, which in its first three words – 'We The People' – affirms that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens, while it also separates the government into three branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

'It's mystifying that after four years of environmental study, a 4,000 page environmental review, that the US DOT would seek to reverse course', Janno Lieber adds in the news release. 'We are doing a thoughtful, local solution. I thought the Republican Party was in favor of local control.'

Indeed, reality can and should compel any government, whatever its ideological background, to look for and adopt policies that are in line with best available science. This constitutes a necessity that, where there appears to be a conflict, must overrule even what the Supreme Court, the President or Congress may decree, something so obvious that people didn't see a need for it to be enshrined in the Constitution.

In summary, policies can best be adopted with a preference for local communities working out the implementation, as said, provided this occurs in line with best available science. Below is a flowchart showing how climate action can be achieved without politicians.

[ from an earlier post ]

The disregard for science and democracy by many politicians has now become so apparent and appalling that we, the people, must now implement a superior form of democracy and decision-making, i.e. for local areas to develop sets of local feebates and to institute Local People's Courts in which randomly-chosen residents deliver verdicts to ensure that policies are in line with best available science. Where needed, progress with climate action should be supported by a Climate Emergency Declaration.

Climate Emergency Declaration

The situation is dire and the precautionary principle calls for rapid, comprehensive and effective action to reduce the damage and to improve the situation, as described in this 2022 post, where needed in combination with a Climate Emergency Declaration, as discussed at this group.