Thegameiam asks the right questions about enviro-fads: What about the fact that compact flourescents are low-level hazmats? In the same vein, here's one for you (and me) city-dwelling car owners:
Doesn't owning a car in the city create the very congestion we abhor? Or, put economically, isn't urban parking massively underpriced, creating crowded parking lanes instead of open, drivable ones? Slate reports in the "Everyday Economist."
1 comment:
I would agree with you if noone lived in the city. The idea that non-residents can park for free amounts to a subsidy; however, residents are already living with the congestion, and also do pay taxes to support that infrastructure.
The Slate article was a tad light on facts - it mostly asserted the problem rather than proving it - but there is a strong element of truth here. However, the economics involved reflect a tragedy of the commons: if DC raised parking rates a lot, but MD and VA didn't, then fewer people would come spend money here, and would go elsewhere instead. This is an issue which requires regional coordination.
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