3 ms·

"5 day working week.. Monday to Friday - why is there basically no variation on this model?" This also double screws you due to crowding. When do people drive

"5 day working week.. Monday to Friday - why is there basically no variation on this model?" This also double screws you due to crowding. When do people drive to work? Same time you do. When do people go to USPS? Same lunch time you do. What time can you go to the fancy restaurant? Same Friday night everyone else does. Traffic, parks, grocery stores are all crowded at the exact same time.

lotsofpulp 6y ago
There’s an easy solution to this. Instead of continuing to expand roads, implement variable rate tolling where prices rise sufficiently such that sufficient number of people are dissuaded from using the road at certain times so that there is no congestion.
- np- 6y ago
  It’s generally already the wealthy who have maximum flexibility in their schedule. So sure, they can duck out at 3pm for the cheap roads but sounds like those who are on shift based schedules (majority of the working class) will end up having to pay to use these variably tolled roads.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    The business will have to pay accordingly if they want to incentivize the employee to travel at the peak congestion times.
    - np- 6y ago
      This was in reply to people who are doing things like running errands at the USPS and eating at restaurants, right? What does an employer have anything to do with that?
- GVIrish 6y ago
  That only works with flexible workplaces. If you make the congestion tax really high but most workplaces don't give people flexibility with work schedules, all you're doing is forcing people to take longer, roundabout commutes. In the DC Metro region we have congestion-based tolls and it seems like it has shifted commuting times a bit, but it also causes a lot more congestion on the secondary traffic arteries. Thankfully I think the pandemics has sort of disrupted employer ideas about flexibility. It's clear more workplaces are offering remote work and flexible schedules and I think that change will last.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    > If you make the congestion tax really high but most workplaces don't give people flexibility with work schedules, all you're doing is forcing people to take longer, roundabout commutes. Then the tax is not high enough. There exists a number where people will say this job isn’t worth it. And you can even toll all roads since license plate scanners are relatively cheap. Right now, the unpaid externalized costs of everyone driving to work at peak times is diffused across so many people’s inconvenience and time sitting in congestion. Not to mention the environmental costs of making a road 8 lanes wide for 4 hours of traffic out of the whole day.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

There’s an easy solution to this. Instead of continuing to expand roads, implement variable rate tolling where prices rise sufficiently such that sufficient number of people are dissuaded from using the road at certain times so that there is no congestion.

np- 6y ago
It’s generally already the wealthy who have maximum flexibility in their schedule. So sure, they can duck out at 3pm for the cheap roads but sounds like those who are on shift based schedules (majority of the working class) will end up having to pay to use these variably tolled roads.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  The business will have to pay accordingly if they want to incentivize the employee to travel at the peak congestion times.
  - np- 6y ago
    This was in reply to people who are doing things like running errands at the USPS and eating at restaurants, right? What does an employer have anything to do with that?
GVIrish 6y ago
That only works with flexible workplaces. If you make the congestion tax really high but most workplaces don't give people flexibility with work schedules, all you're doing is forcing people to take longer, roundabout commutes. In the DC Metro region we have congestion-based tolls and it seems like it has shifted commuting times a bit, but it also causes a lot more congestion on the secondary traffic arteries. Thankfully I think the pandemics has sort of disrupted employer ideas about flexibility. It's clear more workplaces are offering remote work and flexible schedules and I think that change will last.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  > If you make the congestion tax really high but most workplaces don't give people flexibility with work schedules, all you're doing is forcing people to take longer, roundabout commutes. Then the tax is not high enough. There exists a number where people will say this job isn’t worth it. And you can even toll all roads since license plate scanners are relatively cheap. Right now, the unpaid externalized costs of everyone driving to work at peak times is diffused across so many people’s inconvenience and time sitting in congestion. Not to mention the environmental costs of making a road 8 lanes wide for 4 hours of traffic out of the whole day.