The Albany Project give us a shout out

The Albany Project has given Doctors for Congestion Pricing a moment in the spotlight.

This is a good time to respond to the good and bad comments we have received. 

Argument 1: Congestion pricing will not save lives because it will not reduce congestion. 

Response: Well, in Singapore, Stockholm, and London, it seems to have reduced congestion by 30-45% (measured as the number of cars within the congestion pricing zone). Here are the stats for Singapore according to the Environmental Defense Fund: 45% reduction in cars on the road, 10 MPH increase in average driving speed (not necessarily a good thing from a health standpoint), 25% fewer accidents, a 20% increase in the use of public transportation. They conduct rigorous analyses, but are indeed partisan. It would be good to see some non-partisan data on this. But from the reduction in car use and increases in public transit we have seen from the recent increase in fuel prices, we can be fairly confident that the good old relationship between price and demand is still in effect in our new economy.

Argument 2: Hey, you guys are a bunch of phonies, what with your anonymous postings.

Response: Good point. This blog was started by Peter Muennig, an Assistant Professor in Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. I'll let others identify if they so wish. My funding comes from the federal government. New Jersey is my only state funding, so I'll worry about Silver once he is defeated and takes a federal post!

WSJ says bikes cause pollution

Sheldon Silver and Rob Anderson have a lot in common.

Whether bike lanes pose formidable barriers to driving is debatable and context dependent. However, this opinion piece ignores decades of research demonstrating that increasing barriers to driving actually decreases congestion. On this there is near consensus. 

Thus, Rob Anderson is simply flaunting his ignorance for the world to see.

San Francisco saw a dramatic decline in street traffic after the 1989 earthquake wiped out the main freeway artery running through the city. Bike lanes will produce a similar effect as more folks move to public transit.

Green city

The MTA is funded both by property taxes and by ridership, yet is still a money losing venture. Part of the reason for this is that it is serving neighborhoods with a lot of automobile owners. Unfortunately, it is serving them poorly. To address this problem, more funding is needed for subsidized express bus service and subway improvements (e.g., upgrades to the G line, a second avenue subway line).

With real estate prices dropping for the first time since the early 1990s, property taxes are no longer sustaining these subsidies. This is going to either force the MTA to cut its already poor service to underserved parts of the city, or to cause further delays in maintenance.

Crime is up, particulate matter is up (especially the small particles that cause lung cancer), and services are being gutted. With the rental market softening now, NYC needs to attract more first time residents, especially homeowners, by cleaning the air, improving recreation, and strengthening mass transit.

Do people avoid the outdoors during smog alerts?

We know that childhood mortality rates increase on smoggy days, and that adult heart and lung disease admissions increase as well. Matthew Neidell at Columbia University demonstrates that smog impacts people's non-health quality of life, too. On smog alert days, Angelinos avoid going to the zoo and other public places as well. 

Sheldon Silver

Sheldon Silver is a democrat in the 64th Assembly District in New York City. As a long-term power broker and speaker of the Assembly, he is unarguably one of the most powerful politicians in New York State.

We are creating this blog solely because Silver single-handedly killed congestion pricing in New York City.

Congestion pricing would have placed a charge on cars driving in Manhattan. The idea was to reduce traffic, clean the air, and generate funding for mass transit. By reducing pollution, it would have made jogging, biking, and other outdoor activities possible year round. It would have saved the lives of countless asthmatic children. Finally, it would have saved the New York City subway system, which is now $900 million in debt.

By killing congestion pricing, Silver will be responsible for countless deaths, and for reducing the quality of life of people throughout New York City.

Silver is now running opposed for the first time in many terms. We are not affiliated with either of his democratic opponents in any way, but we support them whole hartedly. Foremost, we support his primary challenger, Paul Newell. We are doctors, and do not need donations. So, if you feel like opening your purse strings, please give to Paul's campaign.

If you happen to see this today, 8/4, Sheldon Silver will be walking through Chinatown (his district) starting at 6PM on the corner of Market and Madison. Please let him know how you feel.