Seems $4+ Gas Might Be a Good Thing in NYC
July 3, 2008 by Gabrielle
Filed under Green Living
How timely!
An article in today’s New York Times actually adds stats and graphs to support the argument that escalating gas prices are doing more to enhance usage of public transportation and reduce traffic and pollution than policies:
“We’re at the point where people really are changing habits,” said Sam Schwartz, a transportation consultant. He said that if gas prices stayed high, the result could be close to the goal set by [Mayor] Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan, which, if it had been approved, was expected to reduce traffic in much of Manhattan by 6.3 percent”
Earlier this year Mayor Bloomberg announced a plan that would close a large piece of Manhattan to cars on certain Saturdays in the summer. If more and more people are walking, bicycling and taking the subway, I wonder if there will even be a need.
