Why Congestion Pricing Matters with Diana Lind

Why Congestion Pricing Matters with Diana Lind

Author: The War on Cars, LLC September 19, 2023 Duration: 38:44

After 16 years of slogging its way through municipal, state and federal government and every imaginable form of public process, congestion pricing is finally on its way to New York City. If all goes as planned, then anyone who wants to cram a car or truck into Lower Manhattan south of 60th Street is going to have to pay somewhere between $9 and $23 per day starting next spring. And all of that money will go toward supporting and improving New York's transit system. There are still lots of details to iron out and we should never underestimate New York's ability to blow it when it comes to transportation policy. But Diana Lind of the Penn Institute for Urban Research thinks congestion pricing is a big deal that will fundamentally reshape the relationship between the car and the city, not just in New York but all across North America. "The next 20 years," Lind writes, "will be the beginning of the end of the private car in cities."

***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, stickers, and more.***

This episode was produced with support from Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest Cleverhood discount code.

LINKS:

Read Diana Lind's essay, "Why New York's Congestion Pricing Plan Matters" and subscribe to her newsletter, The New Urban Order.  

How Might Congestion Pricing Actually Work in New York? (New York Times)

We're Another Step Closer to Congestion Pricing (Alissa Walker in Curbed)

New York City Is About to Screw Up Congestion Pricing (Aaron Gordon in Vice)

N.J. Gov. Candidate Steve Fulop: Stop Fighting Congestion Pricing — Expand It Instead! (Streetsblog)

Revenge of the Free Riders (Aaron Naparstek for Streetsblog way back in 2008)

Buy official War on Cars merch at our store.

Find us on Mastodon, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, or whatever godforsaken new social media platform pops up next.

Follow and review us on  Apple Podcasts

TheWarOnCars.org


Imagine a world not built around traffic jams and parking lots, but shaped for people. The War on Cars is a dispatch from the front lines of that effort, a collective conversation questioning the automobile’s dominance over our cities, our environment, and our daily lives. Each episode digs into the real-world fight to reclaim public space, examining everything from the politics of a new bike lane to the history of how cars came to rule. You’ll hear from urban planners, activists, historians, and ordinary people pushing back, offering a mix of sharp analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and compelling narratives. This isn’t just about transportation; it’s about the culture and societal choices that have led us here, and the tangible, often inspiring work to create safer, quieter, and more connected communities. Tune in for a thoughtful and necessary critique of the status quo, a podcast dedicated to the idea that our streets can-and should-be for so much more.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The War on Cars
Podcast Episodes
Putting the Trans in Transit with Katelyn Burns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:37
"Why are so many trans people into urban planning?" That's the question independent journalist and co-host of the Cancel Me, Daddy podcast Katelyn Burns asked her Bluesky followers, and she got an overwhelming response.…
TEASER: Why Fighting Tesla Matters with Ed Niedermeyer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, plus ad-free versions of regular episodes, merch discounts, pre-sale tickets to live shows and more, becom…
Inside the Tesla Takedown Protests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:06
Since early February, a protest phenomenon has been building steadily across the United States, springing up at scores of Tesla dealerships from coast to coast. Organizers call it Tesla Takedown. It's remarkable in part…
Cars Bad, Tariffs Worse with David Zipper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:08
Trump's on-again-off-again tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are causing chaos across the entire economy, but they're hitting the auto industry especially hard. The big three U.S. automakers rely on an integrated…
Riding the UK's Cycle Network with Laura Laker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:09
Laura Laker is a London-based freelance journalist who specializes in writing about cycling and urban transport. We talked with her about the year she spent riding around Britain on the United Kingdom's 13,000-mile Natio…
Trump v. Congestion Pricing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:12
Can you believe this is our second emergency episode about congestion pricing? This time, we're responding to the Trump administration's attack on the program, which has been in effect since January, delivering exactly t…
What's Happening with Federal Transportation Dollars? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:41
The Trump administration has upended the entire United States government over the last several weeks, sending Elon Musk and his minions into the guts of pretty much every federal department in a crusade for what they're…
TEASER: Live with City Nerd! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:12
This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, plus ad-free versions of regular episodes, merch discounts, pre-sale tickets to live shows and more, becom…
Super Bowl Roundup with Rollie Williams and Nicole Conlan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:42
It's the CXLIVth episode of The War on Cars, and just like in years past we're taking a look at the ads that aired during the Super Bowl. This year, there weren't a whole lot of ads specifically designed to sell cars and…