Is congestion pricing answer to gas woes?
Jay Evensen
O'Toole is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a Libertarian think-tank in Washington. But he is not an East Coast elitist. His thin bow tie, casual shirt and gray beard make him look every bit the small-town Oregon resident he is. He understands western U.S. cities and their challenges, although he is particularly familiar with Portland, Ore., a city he spares no punches ridiculing for policies he says have increased congestion, raised taxes and forced families to move across the river to Vancouver, Wash.
Occasional visitors to the place, such as myself, find it delightful. Downtown is only a few dollars and a short light-rail ride from the airport. O'Toole says, "What you need to do is see the city through the eyes of residents." That view, he insists, looks like a mess.
Regardless, he wasn't here to discuss Portland. He was here to talk about highways. To Utahns, he makes the argument that gas taxes no longer work.
As cars become more fuel-efficient, gas-tax revenues decline in proportion to the amount of driving people do. Over time, inflation eats away at how much the tax actually collects. In addition, any attempts to raise it are met with instant and passionate opposition from a variety of sources.
With congestion pricing, drivers would pay different rates to use highways depending on the amount of traffic at the time. Using simple computers and cheap on-board transponders in automobiles, the state could vary the toll as conditions warrant.
It's a solution based on a simple economic argument. Traffic congestion already comes at a cost. When you're idling or inching along the freeway, it's costing you in time and gasoline. But most people don't think of the problem in these terms. They would, however, if they had to pay a premium to drive during peak hours.
Some research backs this up. Earlier this year, the Puget Sound Regional Council of Washington State rigged the cars of 275 volunteers with tolling meters. According to Penton Business Media, each participant was given a tolling allowance for the use of freeways in the Seattle area. If they ended the 18-month study period with no change in driving habits, they would be considered to have spent the allowance. If they reduced the amount they drove, they would pocket the difference.
Recent comments
O'Toole is a moron who has no credibility with Portlanders (like...
JCH | May 19, 2008 at 8:29 a.m.
One fundamental problem with congestion pricing is that we're...
Deseret Dawg | May 18, 2008 at 11:37 p.m.
Raising the gas tax is a better than tolls.
Why? Raising...
Gas Tax > Toll Roads | May 18, 2008 at 11:06 p.m.
