Posted on 06/05/2005 2:36:22 PM PDT by echoBoomer
The mayor of London told dozens of world mayors that they could unclog city streets and fight global warming by charging hefty fees for driving in congested areas of their communities.
Mayor Ken Livingstone said making drivers pay a "congestion charge" to drive in central London has improved traffic flow and reduced the emission of "greenhouse gases" blamed for raising temperatures and changing weather patterns. The $9 fee has forced people out of their cars and filled city buses, subways and sidewalks, he told mayors assembled here Friday for the U.N. World Environment Day Conference.
"We are the only city in the Western world where there's a notable shift from car use to public transport...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This is just "your papers please" excuses.
Want to bet the political "favorites" and favors and friends will get passes which exempt them from this BS?
The sustainable development is now being morphed into sustainable freedom of movement.
The left thinks our glass is too big.
there are only three free ways to get into Manhattan by car, and they would put tolls there if it weren't for the traffic nightmare it would create.
Circular logic, endless doodooloop. Those mopes would protect the animals, the forests, and the oceans, but not us.
The mayor of London wouldnt know a good idea if it bit him on the ass.
Not with an EZ Tag system. I think the Brithish are considering implementing a more intrusive and controversial toll system in all cars containing a GPS receiver to record distance time of day and location of all travel.
not everyone has ezpass, you would still need cash toll booths on the 59th st, manhattan and brooklyn bridges.
they don't toll them because they know that it would devastate businesses who rely on people coming in from the suburbs for dining, shows, etc. many would simply just stop coming if they had to pay additional tolls.
I would love for them to do this. It is a good excuse to elect a new mayor.
which one? Bloomberg isn't great, but he's better then any of the alternatives.
Congestion is a problem of poor traffic management by the civic engineers.
I won't pay higher taxes because of their f*up.
In Houston, Greenie Weenies reduced the traffic flow on Houston roads when they restriped them with an unused bicycle lane. It was not uncommon for a 4 lane road to be reduced to two lanes reducing the throughput by half. Increased congestion.
Also traffic lights in this town are often 180 degrees out of phase. Go from one light to the next and wait.
The new rail system downtown has right of way at all intersections. Unlike other towns where a rail must wait for a green light, all lights go red (or are supposed to) in the vicinity of any trolly so again cars must stack up and wait.
All of that waiting contributes to congestion and pollution.
Don't pay for civic f*ups.
Not this liberal watermelon the world is going to end trash! Course you notice which US City they singled out - San Fran-Sis-co, that's almost funny.
I think he'd rather enjoy that.
Never fails.
Politicians elected to represent US actually represent their own political survival and when their major screw ups and neglect come to roost their only solution is to take more or our money.
A Swedish firm a few years ago offered to build a monorail system ALL OVER LA for no money up front. They wanted the reciepts for ten years as payment.
Idiot politicians said no. They also said no to any more roads to alleviate certain congestion.
So we have a few miles of subway in earthquake country at huge cost overruns that serve a very small area.
Everything is taxed and it is still not enough money.
Now they want toll roads. Congestion taxes have been floated.
Their answer is the same everywhere; just take more of our money to cover their failure.
When the pendulum swings the other way soon I hope these people will be as vilified as any businesses they say profited from slavery one hundred fifty years ago.
We should charge an illegal alien tax. That would clear the streets up pretty good.
Do you every contemplate the amount of green gases that would be eliminated, if our nation's highways were upgraded to the point that traffic jams were erradicated.
Instead the planners instigate traffic jams as a way to pry our citizens out of cars.
Imagine if the leaders of the 50s-70s had done the same thing. We wouldn't have any freeways and our economy would have taken a massive hit.
It's time for our leaders to plan for the future, get off their soft hinde-sides and upgrade our transporation for the future. Buses and Trains will NEVER be the sole answer. Neither will negative impacting congestion affectors, the darling of the left, the diamond lane.
Red Ken strikes again. That's what the Brits call him, y'know.
I'll bet we could eradicate speech impediments if we taxed them, too.
/sarc
I don't know about the Brits, but here's a recent thread I posted about what's happening in the United Arab Emirites:
...if it bit him on the ass.
I think he'd rather enjoy that.
Mocking the Brits are we? That will earn you a caning from the headmaster...LOL
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