Called Congestion Pricing, after London's successful Congestion Charge Zone or CCZ, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority has been studying a similar system for many years.
With the onset of TDM vehicles like Uber and Lyft, and the Covid-19 quiet that has descended upon downtown, SFCTA has once again raised the topic and has recently dusted off their original research. They are reengaging with the public via surveys and payment scheme games to get all of us thinking about the trade-offs involved. Visiting DNA is part of this engagement effort.
London has proven that CCZ is a success, essentially using fees for cars entering the zone on weekdays to subsidize public transit. The result has been a marked increase in transit use and a downtown that is far less crowded and far more pedestrian friendly.
However the onset of Uber and Lyft services has altered the equation in London, both driving up traffic and lowering the governments take--because TDMs are considered taxis, and they do not pay to enter the zone.
We will see if the SFCTA can conjure a system that solves this problem and more in a city with far less reliable and frequent public transit. Learn more at our DNA meeting on Tuesday March 9th via Zoom.
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