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> Unpriced traffic https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/gas/gasidx.htm https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/gas/gasidx.htm https://dmv.ny.gov/motor-carriers/new-york-state-highwa

> Unpriced traffic https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/gas/gasidx.htm https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/gas/gasidx.htm https://dmv.ny.gov/motor-carriers/new-york-state-highway-use-tax-tmt https://dmv.ny.gov/motor-carriers/new-york-state-highway-use... https://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/taxes/business-commercial-motor-vehicle-tax-cmvt.page https://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/taxes/business-commercial-...

bobthepanda 8y ago
The first is a tax on gas, which affects different vehicles differently; for example, a Tesla would not be taxed at all. The second only covers state highways, of which most of the roads in New York City, especially Manhattan, are not. The third is a flat fee; to get the most value out of it, it actually incentivizes driving more. None of this is an actual price on traffic; you pay the same rate whether or not you do all your traveling on lightly trafficked country roads, or bumper to bumper city streets. In DC, for example, they started charging tolls to maintain a constant speed of 55MPH, and it turns out the market clearing price could go as high as $40. https://ggwash.org/view/65796/the-new-i-66-tolls-offer-great-insight-into-commuter-psychology https://ggwash.org/view/65796/the-new-i-66-tolls-offer-great...
- Const-me 8y ago
  > None of this is an actual price on traffic IMO gas tax is the best we can do. There not that many teslas, at least not yet. It scales proportionally with miles driven. It’s roughly proportional to vehicle size. It even scales with traffic intensity, cars consume more fuel per mile in cities. It’s inexpensive to manage. Best of all, unlike direct traffic tax, gas tax is anonymous, no need to track who went where, all people will eventually go to a gas pump, except people living near a state border but that’s IMO acceptable losses. I think that’s one of the reasons why fuel costs 2-3 times more here in Europe compared to US, and on average we have better public transportation.
  - bobthepanda 8y ago
    Not many Teslas, but lots of electric hybrids. A hybrid Toyota Camry traveling the same distance as a regular one will cause the same amount of wear and tear on a road, but will pay less gas tax. For this reason US states have started experimenting with taxing VMT. You don't actually need to track mileage; just measure the odometer at the end of the month. As far as tracking concerns, Manhattan is an island connected via bridges and tunnels; all you need to do traffic pricing is to toll the crossings.

bobthepanda 8y ago

The first is a tax on gas, which affects different vehicles differently; for example, a Tesla would not be taxed at all. The second only covers state highways, of which most of the roads in New York City, especially Manhattan, are not. The third is a flat fee; to get the most value out of it, it actually incentivizes driving more. None of this is an actual price on traffic; you pay the same rate whether or not you do all your traveling on lightly trafficked country roads, or bumper to bumper city streets. In DC, for example, they started charging tolls to maintain a constant speed of 55MPH, and it turns out the market clearing price could go as high as $40. https://ggwash.org/view/65796/the-new-i-66-tolls-offer-great-insight-into-commuter-psychology https://ggwash.org/view/65796/the-new-i-66-tolls-offer-great...

Const-me 8y ago
> None of this is an actual price on traffic IMO gas tax is the best we can do. There not that many teslas, at least not yet. It scales proportionally with miles driven. It’s roughly proportional to vehicle size. It even scales with traffic intensity, cars consume more fuel per mile in cities. It’s inexpensive to manage. Best of all, unlike direct traffic tax, gas tax is anonymous, no need to track who went where, all people will eventually go to a gas pump, except people living near a state border but that’s IMO acceptable losses. I think that’s one of the reasons why fuel costs 2-3 times more here in Europe compared to US, and on average we have better public transportation.
- bobthepanda 8y ago
  Not many Teslas, but lots of electric hybrids. A hybrid Toyota Camry traveling the same distance as a regular one will cause the same amount of wear and tear on a road, but will pay less gas tax. For this reason US states have started experimenting with taxing VMT. You don't actually need to track mileage; just measure the odometer at the end of the month. As far as tracking concerns, Manhattan is an island connected via bridges and tunnels; all you need to do traffic pricing is to toll the crossings.