Driving in New York City Will Soon Cost Much More

 

New York City is set to become the first major American city to make drivers pay money to get into its most crowded areas. The purpose of the new toll¹ is to reduce traffic, cut pollution and encourage more people to use public transportation.

Several cities around the world have tried a similar plan. It seems to have worked in places like London, Singapore and Stockholm. Each now has a “congestion² pricing” system like the one New York City is planning.

After the systems were put in place, each of the cities experienced less traffic and better air quality. At the same time, the cities got more money to support public transportation and building projects.

John Rennie Short is a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He said, “New York is a prime example of cities where it tends to work, which is very high density³, with relatively⁴ good public transportation.”

Details are not completed

Experts say there are still important questions to answer about how the plan will work in New York’s busiest area, Manhattan. The officials have not yet decided⁵ on many details. The plan would use a network of license⁶ plate readers to charge vehicles money for using surface roads anywhere in Manhattan south of Central Park. That includes the cost of the toll to cross a bridge into the city.

Mitchell Moss⁷ is director of the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management at New York University. He thinks the plan will not do very much, and that the city will experience only a small reduction in traffic. That is because people will either accept the cost and keep driving, or instead choose to use ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, he said.

“We’re not going to see people abandon their cars to get into the subway,” Moss said.

Public transportation improvements

This month, New York state lawmakers approved a plan for the tolling⁹ system. The new system adds to an existing network of bridge and tunnel tolls¹⁰ that charge $9.50 to $15 for vehicles coming into Manhattan. There are tolls on seven of the 20 bridges and tunnels leading into the island.

That money will help may for much-needed repairs and updates to the city’s public transportation system. Moss called that a “terrific victory.”

Learning from London

New York could learn how to avoid problems with the tolls by looking at what happened in London. A similar system has operated there since 2003. At first, London charged drivers 5 pounds, or about $6.50, to come into the central part of the city during the work week.

There was a big effect in its first year: congestion dropped 30 percent, buses got six percent faster and emissions¹¹ went down by 12 percent.

Over time, however, congestion has gotten worse, even though the toll cost rose to 11.5 pounds, about $15, per day. Officials say that was because of ride-sharing vehicles like Uber, which did not have to pay the tolls.

Starting this week, however, London will make ride-sharing vehicles pay, too.

In Stockholm, an experimental program has worked so well that residents voted in 2007 to make it permanent. Singapore’s system has been around since the 1970s.

Researchers say a congestion pricing plan with an $11.52 toll could reduce traffic on Manhattan by 13 percent and raise about $1.1 billion a year.

Kate Slevin is senior vice⁸ president of state programs and promotion¹² at Regional Plan Association, an organization that supports the congestion toll.

She said, “Even a small reduction in traffic can have a substantial impact on the larger traffic network.”

Some wonder if New York's old transit¹³ system could deal with a large increase in passengers. Slevin says transit officials have almost two years to take needed steps, like changing current bus routes.

Lawmakers in San Francisco, California, are also considering a congestion pricing system to help with its traffic problems.

I’m Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

toll – n. an amount of money that you are required to pay for the use of a road or bridge

encourage – v. to make (someone) more determined¹⁴, hopeful, or confident

congestion - n. the state of being too full or crowded with something

prime – adj. of the highest quality or value; excellent

license plate - n. a metal plate on a vehicle that shows a series of numbers and letters that are used to identify the vehicle

abandon – v. to stop doing or having (something) or to give up (something) completely

terrific – adj. informal : extremely good

substantial - adj. large in amount, size, or number

(mass) transit - n. the system that is used for moving large numbers of people on buses and trains

route – n. a way that someone or something regularly travels along

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

3 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

4 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

7 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 tolling   

[财]来料加工

参考例句：

• A remote bell is tolling. 远处的钟声响了。
• Indeed, the bells were tolling, the people were trooping into the handsome church. 真的，钟声响了，人们成群结队走进富丽堂皇的教堂。

10 tolls   

（缓慢而有规律的）钟声( toll的名词复数 )； 通行费； 损耗； （战争、灾难等造成的）毁坏

参考例句：

• A man collected tolls at the gateway. 一个人在大门口收通行费。
• The long-distance call tolls amount to quite a sum. 长途电话费数目相当可观。

11 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

12 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

13 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

14 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。