This podcast from NPR’s Planet Money – The Cost Of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years Of Regret – is (a) wonderfully insightful, and (b) an object lesson for those wondering whether road pricing is the way to go when charging for transportation.
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You’d have to conclude, after listening, that (c) it probably isn’t.
Changing categories can be really difficult, but it doesn’t mean it is not good.
The relationship people have with road (expecting to be both free of charge and congestion, and paid by someone else) is simply bad, and need to be changed.
On the other hand, expecting to have the Red Cross expressing compassion for the veteran, or other people they care of is a given, and that is the reason why people donate to such organizations.
I heartily agree with Voony.
Fortunately we’ve already seen a major category change directly related to motordom. Somehow we all managed to adjust to the concept that there needed to be a user fee for a scarce resource that always used to be free: parking.
Paying to occupy the curb lane for 30 minutes has a highly visible cost. Why shouldn’t occupying the middle lane for 30 minutes have the same kind of highly visible cost?
We’ve even accepted that there are times of day when the demands of others is so great that no amount of money will allow us to stay in the curb lane.
That’s a massive change from free, yet we’ve overcome whatever initial resistance was offered and moved toward a more equitable system for everyone.
I don’t see a parallel with the ‘red cross donuts’ and road pricing already congested routes. the on ramp at 152 would sometimes take 30-40 minutes to travel the 100-200 metres to enter the highway. I have never encountered await since the toll went up. further congestion on HWY 1 by burnaby lake/vancouver can also be remedied with careful and modest road pricing, with people seeing an immediate benefit.
There is no comparison between Red Cross doughnuts and road pricing. The Red Cross did not begin charging for coffee & doughnuts in an effort to raise money or change behaviour. They were ordered to do so by an external agency. By employing road pricing, we are not only attempting to generate some revenue, but also (and more importantly) attempting to manage the usage of a scarce resource, and avoid/delay construction of more very costly infrastructure.
Shocking news – people don’t like to pay for what they’ve been getting for free!
My takeaways:
– Ending motordom will involve not being liked. (Those of us who try to get safer streets know that already)
– Accepting the end of motordom will take a generational change.
Easy has it right. Taking away a “right”, a (seemingly) free one at that is a real political challenge. Just ask the two recently recalled Colorado Democratic state senators.