Should Boston Consider Congestion Pricing for Easing Traffic Woes?

In a recent report to her administration, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration proposed congestion pricing to ease traffic burdens on the city. 

If you're not familiar with the concept, congestion pricing charges people a toll to drive into designated areas of the city. The premise is to allow cities to reduce traffic and pollution while creating a revenue source for transit alternatives. 

The Boston Globe noted that New York has implemented the policy. Vehicles traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan pay a $9 toll between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, with enforcement by cameras. The toll deters some people from driving, which means those who do drive benefit from less-stressful commutes due to decreased vehicle traffic.

The Globe noted that some business groups and political leaders have bristled at the idea of congestion pricing, arguing that it could deter business and hurt low-income workers. City Councilor Ed Flynn cited Boston's struggling downtown economy and said, “Now is not the time for an expensive expansion of city regulations.”

In its editorial on the matter, the Globe noted that Boston could adapt New York's strategy by starting with a smaller core area (such as downtown) and tailoring charging hours. As for determining the appropriate use of revenue from congestion pricing, the Wu administration said it would investigate ways to spend the money on “equitable transportation decarbonization programs and strategies that improve and expand low-or no-carbon travel options.”

With a concrete proposal in place that accounts for advantages and disadvantages, Boston could prepare more detailed information on where and when charges would apply, the amounts, and the revenue allocation to build informed public and political support.