3 ms·

Well sure, if you're now sneaking in the qualifier that the costs are marginal. But obviously there is some price at which people do change their behavior.

Spooky23 2y ago
Well, yeah. If magically people are going to change their behavior, marginal cost matters. If it costs me $10 to drive to a destination, and you introduce a tax that adds $5, there’s a $5 marginal cost difference. For the commuter, there’s a few options in most places: take a bus if available and save money at the cost of time, wfh, complain and get the company to move, move to a closer locale, or pay. Making a fast convenient transit system is not happening in 2025, and most of the field of dreams thinking about bike lanes isn’t working. In NYC, it’s a scheme to prop up the MTA, whose labor contracts consume all oxygen — the organization is broke after imposing a regional sales tax that affects people living as far north as Poughkeepsie. And frankly, as awesome as NYC is, it’s fucked long term - it’s no longer a diversified economy, and the biggest industry is slowly attriting away. You need transit, and everyone is priced out of areas that are transit accessible. Many buildings in Manhattan are essentially vacant today. In my city, a $6M budget hole prompted a sudden concern for child safety. We lowered the speed limit to 25, 20 in school zones, and setup a network of cameras. The busiest corridor attracted 15,000 tickets in a week. Guess what else happened? People in that corridor made alternate choices, and three busy retailers in the strip announced they were closing. The difference is elasticity - the marginal cost and hassle of getting a toll/ticket will lead me to another CVS. My office Christmas party can be outside of the city line. But my employer is more sticky.

3 ms·

Well sure, if you're now sneaking in the qualifier that the costs are marginal. But obviously there is some price at which people do change their behavior.

by llamaimperative 2y ago

Spooky23 2y ago
Well, yeah. If magically people are going to change their behavior, marginal cost matters. If it costs me $10 to drive to a destination, and you introduce a tax that adds $5, there’s a $5 marginal cost difference. For the commuter, there’s a few options in most places: take a bus if available and save money at the cost of time, wfh, complain and get the company to move, move to a closer locale, or pay. Making a fast convenient transit system is not happening in 2025, and most of the field of dreams thinking about bike lanes isn’t working. In NYC, it’s a scheme to prop up the MTA, whose labor contracts consume all oxygen — the organization is broke after imposing a regional sales tax that affects people living as far north as Poughkeepsie. And frankly, as awesome as NYC is, it’s fucked long term - it’s no longer a diversified economy, and the biggest industry is slowly attriting away. You need transit, and everyone is priced out of areas that are transit accessible. Many buildings in Manhattan are essentially vacant today. In my city, a $6M budget hole prompted a sudden concern for child safety. We lowered the speed limit to 25, 20 in school zones, and setup a network of cameras. The busiest corridor attracted 15,000 tickets in a week. Guess what else happened? People in that corridor made alternate choices, and three busy retailers in the strip announced they were closing. The difference is elasticity - the marginal cost and hassle of getting a toll/ticket will lead me to another CVS. My office Christmas party can be outside of the city line. But my employer is more sticky.