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Transit subsidies are actually what the generated toll money is supposed to be used for. The point of congestion pricing is to induce a portion of the populatio

Transit subsidies are actually what the generated toll money is supposed to be used for. The point of congestion pricing is to induce a portion of the population to switch transportation modes by making public transit a more attractive option in terms of price and quality. When London implemented the its congestion charge, there were transit improvements in place on day one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_congestion_charge#Public_transport http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_congestion_charge#Public... In the US, the toll money often goes toward expensive, politically-motivated capital improvements, not operation expenses. In the worse case scenario, the money is used to build more toll lanes, which isn't going to encourage mode shift.

tsotha 13y ago
>In the US, the toll money often goes toward expensive, politically-motivated capital improvements, not operation expenses. There isn't a transit system in the US that isn't subsidized. What difference does it make that toll money goes somewhere else if subsidies come from general funds? Money is fungible.
- wutbrodo 13y ago
  Being explicitly "paid for" from a specific source vs coming from the general fund is a powerful political symbol, which has significant, real consequences whenever deficit hawks go looking for things to cut. It's easier to convince the public that you should cut something when you convince everyone that their money is being spent ("wasted"), as opposed to having a specific revenue policy to counterbalance specific spending. It's a lot easier for people to assume that massive, massive amounts are being spent/wasted when it's coming from general funds.
  - tsotha 13y ago
    Where I live politicians don't demonstrate any unwillingness to raid funding sources like tolls and property taxes whenever they run out of money. That's probably how we got here in the first place.

tsotha 13y ago

>In the US, the toll money often goes toward expensive, politically-motivated capital improvements, not operation expenses. There isn't a transit system in the US that isn't subsidized. What difference does it make that toll money goes somewhere else if subsidies come from general funds? Money is fungible.

wutbrodo 13y ago
Being explicitly "paid for" from a specific source vs coming from the general fund is a powerful political symbol, which has significant, real consequences whenever deficit hawks go looking for things to cut. It's easier to convince the public that you should cut something when you convince everyone that their money is being spent ("wasted"), as opposed to having a specific revenue policy to counterbalance specific spending. It's a lot easier for people to assume that massive, massive amounts are being spent/wasted when it's coming from general funds.
- tsotha 13y ago
  Where I live politicians don't demonstrate any unwillingness to raid funding sources like tolls and property taxes whenever they run out of money. That's probably how we got here in the first place.