Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019 - 24

CURING GRIDLOCK
Fee zones in cities ease traffic congestion, spark controversy
BY MARCUS AMICK

fforts to find new ways to reduce traffic congestion have
sparked some interesting ideas over the years, ranging
from infrastructure overhauls to the influx of electric
scooters that line the sidewalks in many major cities.
But imposing fees on drivers to enter the busiest areas of U.S.
cities during rush hour - known as congestion pricing or relief
pricing - is shaping up as one of the most controversial urban
mobility initiatives.
Versions of the congestion pricing system, which seeks to
encourage people to use mass transit, have operated in European
cities such as London and Stockholm for years. Singapore was
one of the first urban areas to enact such a system, launching its
fee-based road initiative in 1975.
New York City is to become the first major U.S. urban area
to try the idea. In 2021, drivers will start having to pay to enter
Manhattan's central business district. Some details are being

CHARGING UP

finalized, such as how much drivers will be charged to enter the
fee zone. But many New Yorkers are already up in arms over the
plan, with a poll by Quinnipiac University showing that more than
half of the city's residents oppose it.
Critics of the plan have cited a number of concerns, from the
additional financial burden it puts on drivers already experiencing
economic hardship, to the negative impact it could have on local
businesses in the fee zone.
And with Los Angeles exploring the feasibility of congestion
pricing in some of its most highly trafficked areas, there's a strong
possibility L.A. could soon follow suit. That could prompt other
U.S. cities to consider similar systems, fueling more debate.
Still, urban planning experts such as Michael Manville, an
associate professor of urban planning at UCLA, see congestion
pricing as one of the most viable ways to address the growing
problems associated with gridlock in cities such as Los Angeles.

ROAD REPAIRS

States roll out EV fees, road usage charges to combat drop in gas tax revenue
BY ALEXA ST. JOHN

ith more electric vehicles in use and fewer vehicle owners paying gasoline taxes, some regulators
fear EVs are driving down revenue to maintain
state roads.
But not buying gasoline doesn't mean a free pass.
EV owners in many states are getting hit with fees in lieu of
traditional gasoline taxes. And in some cases, they are putting
far more into state coffers than their counterparts who pay at
the pump.
Existing and proposed annual EV fees in 26 states are up to
four times higher than the annual gasoline tax would be for the
average new car in 2025, according to a Consumer Reports
analysis.
Aside from these fees, some state governments are considering road-usage charges to boost revenue.
EV owners in Oregon have two options once they pay the
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base vehicle registration fee that all vehicle owners pay:
1. They can also pay the annual enhanced registration fee Oregon
charges for electrified vehicles.
2. They can participate in OReGO, the Oregon Department of
Transportation's road-usage charge program.
Any eligible vehicle can participate in the OReGO program,
regardless of powertrain, but only full-electric vehicles can
get the enhanced EV registration fee waived. A registration
fee waiver for vehicles that aren't full EVs but get at least 40
mpg takes effect Jan 1.
Participants in OReGO pay 1.7 cents per mile they drive.
Mileage is tracked through a plug-in device. The 1.7 cents they
pay is designed to roughly equal the state's fuel tax rate of 34
cents a gallon. Drivers who still have to buy gasoline or diesel
fuel, such as those driving plug-in hybrids and gasoline-electric
hybrids, receive a credit on the fuel tax they pay.

Shift Magazine - October 7, 2019

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