As transit dollars run short and traffic congestion only seems to rise in major cities, some are considering taxing people to drive into their downtowns.
At the end of June, New York City will implement its controversial “congestion relief zone,” which will charge drivers of passenger cars $15 to drive into Lower Manhattan.
“We are going to see more of this kind of thing,” said Joseph Schwieterman, the director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul University. “There’s no ability to greatly expand the highway infrastructure, all big cities are going to have to look."
New York’s MTA said its “congestion relief zone” will be a “transformative opportunity” to address gridlock and improve public transportation. Tolls for the program will be collected through the EZ-Pass transponder system and will be shared with transit agencies to improve subway stations, buy electric buses and make the systems more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Chicago drivers admit congestion is a problem.
“I think its kind of annoying when you are driving around and its bumper to bumper and it takes like 10-20 minutes to go a mile,” resident Jonathan Duran said.
Duran said he doesn’t think a New York-style toll system would work here.
Local
Neither does Salina Yasin, who said it took her 90 minutes to commute downtown Wednesday morning.
“I think it’s a crime,” she said.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
If the Chicago area were to consider a congestion pricing program, it would not be the first time. During Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration, there was a proposal to add toll lanes to the Stevenson expressway, though the measure failed to gain traction in Springfield.
Chicago already has a congestion tax of sorts that went into effect in January 2020 that applies to rideshare vehicles.
It adds upwards of $3.00 to fares in a zone bounded by North Avenue, Roosevelt Road, Des Plaines Avenue, Ashland Avenue and the North Branch Canal. The program also helped close an $838 million budget deficit.
Some experts say congestion pricing can have more downsides than benefits.
Tim Menard, the CEO of transportation technology firm LYT told NBC Chicago that new AI-based tech is being deployed to reduce traffic congestion.
Still, Schwieterman said congestion pricing could work in Chicago if officials take a more moderate approach.
“The key is you don’t send eye-popping high rates, but you make them practical, so people can still drive,” he said. “They just make common sense decisions: morning rush hour; teaming up with other people; trying to limit that excess driving.”
