Obviously, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission can charge whatever it wants on our broke-down San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, but raising the toll at 5:00 AM every weekday morning when the bridge isn’t congested at all is not what can fairly be called congestion pricing.
Call it something else, MTC. Call it a toll increase, if you want. Whatever you call it, it’s not an implementation of congestion pricing.
Mssrs. Matier and Ross are highlighting this issue today:
“Bay Bridge drivers are going to be forking over an extra $2 during the morning “peak” commute hours of 5 to 10 a.m. starting Thursday – even though the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which made the call, has stats showing the actual peak is from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.”
Economist Bill Vickrey, the “Father of Congestion Pricing,” must be rolling over in his grave over there in New York.
What good does it do to send a signal to drivers that it’s better for society if they drive over the bridge at 4:50 AM vs. 5:10 AM? It does no good at all.
The latest missive explaining tings from the Ministry of Truth, after the jump.
