Something I’ve been wondering lately is, how do the supposed masses of low-income drivers afford parking in Manhattan? Does anybody have figures on the average cost of parking in Manhattan?

we do have great public transit if you happen to live near the subway, but for the many outer borough residents who don’t and have to rely on the bus, there is much room for improvement.

of course, bus improvements will require funding (which congestion pricing would be a major source of) and ultimately real, enforced, dedicated bus lanes, which will no doubt make drivers scream as well.

NO!….TO REGRESSIVE TAXES AND TOLLS!

AMERICANS: GUILTY OF EXTRAVAGANT OVER-INDULGENCE–TOO MANY CARS, TOO MANY HOMES

It is time for local governments to start increasing the taxes on multiple-car ownership and multiple-home ownership–a progressive tax. If a household owns more than one car or more than one home there should be an increasingly higher annual tax percentage on every car and home after the first one.

This would be a fair way to encourage a reduction of cars on the road, to increase revenues for bridge, road, and transit system improvements, and to fight Global Warming.

This progressive tax would also provide the revenue needed to lower or eliminate the cost of transit passes.

Additional help in establishing an effective, voluntary, plan can be found in the new book:

“HOW TO LIVE WELL WITHOUT OWNING A CAR” by Chris Balish

“With all the media hype about Climate Change, Traffic Congestion, and Oil Addiction, there aren’t many out there talking about doing something really worth while about the major culprit–the UBIQUITOUS CAR. This book has a great, completely voluntary, plan that not only helps to achieve National Energy Independence, but also helps all people to achieve Personal Financial Freedom.”

EXAMPLE: We are all familiar with Car Rentals, but how many know anything about the rapidly growing Car Sharing Companies and Neighborhood Car Sharing Groups?

Assuming the numbers are accurate… Of the 5.3%, how many drivers will adjust their habits because of the congestion tax? I suspect very, very few.
I think the graphs actually support the arguement that there will be no noticable reduction in congestion or air pollution… Only more money leaving the already highly taxed NY-Metro residents.

Even car-less residents in the taxed zone will pay.
As the cost to do business increases, the tax will be forwarded to the consumer. I recomend my clients list the congestion tax by name on their invoices servicing the proposed zone. As a matter of fact, several already said they will do just that if this horrendous plan goes forward.

GlennQ seems to have missed where I responded to his almost-identical post yesterday:

I think Councilmember Eric Gioia said it best:

My dad owns a flower shop in Queens. My dad used to deliver in a truck to Manhattan–it’s no longer profitable thanks to the “time tax”– it takes too long, the gas is too expensive. There are business owners in the outer ring who are making the decision every day about getting into Manhattan, and the congestion fee is just putting a number on that.

I can’t imagine a business owner that wouldn’t pay $8 per day (for a van) or $21 per day (for a truck) so that their vehicles aren’t stuck in traffic for hours. The gas plus the driver’s wages (or the cost of opportunities lost sitting in traffic) are easily more than that. Even more so for refrigerated trucks. Businesses will save money, and consumers will probably come out ahead.

None of this data comes as a surprise to me. Anyone with half a brain can figure out that the true working poor can’t even afford to own a car, let alone drive it into Manhattan each day. Of course, politicians pandering to the auto commuter minority in their districts don’t let these facts stand in their way.

A better way to reduce congestion is to charge drivers who come into the city. By far the majority of rush hour auto traffic is suburban commuters, not city residents. A congestion tax to get into midtown will simply cause these commuters to park their cars in the outer boroughs. A tax to come into the city will keep them out altogether.