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!
No comments:
Post a Comment