Car Culture

Give Me Traffic Congestion or Give Me Death

By Aaron Naparstek

1:19 PM EDT on September 7, 2007

Behold the awesomeness that is the logo of the Stop NYC Congestion Tax web site by Brooklyn Young Republican Jonathan J. Judge (not to be confused with the mysterious Keep NYC Congestion Tax Free web site). I’m no brand identity specialist but here’s how I read it:

Grumpy over deteriorating air quality, low visibility and climate change-induced summer heat during this year’s July 4 weekend traffic blitz, Lady Liberty wades over to the Holland Tunnel, picks up a red white and blue sedan, and threatens to hurl it into New York Harbor unless policy makers do something about New York City’s traffic congestion problem.

As for the slogan on her pedestal: Even if we cede the point that congestion charging is a tax rather than a user fee, given that the majority of New York City households don’t even own a car, aren’t motor vehicles pretty well represented on New York City’s publicly-owned streets, bridges and highways?

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.

Car Culture | Congestion Pricing | Transit

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