After some initial opposition, residents of London, England have gotten used to congestion pricing for cars—and the reduced traffic that has resulted.
London's plan initially faced opposition and a legal challenge, but its success has led to widespread acceptance. Many drivers took to traveling at off-peak hours, carpooling, or taking transit after the initiative went into effect.
Between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, drivers entering a 21-square-kilometer zone in Central London are charged $20. The city offers discounts or exemptions for zone residents, people with disabilities, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, and taxis.
Within three years, traffic fell by 15% and congestion—the extra time to make a trip because of impeded traffic flow—was reduced by 30%. Noting the success of congestion pricing in London and other cities including Stockholm, cities worldwide including Singapore, New York, and Vancouver have implemented or are considering congestion pricing.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
Colorado House kills construction defects bill
The legislation would have made it harder for condo owners to sue builders.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
New energy efficiency program, Tenant Star, gets OK from Congress
The voluntary program for commercial and government buildings is modeled after Energy Star.
Smart Buildings | May 1, 2015
FEMA to require states to evaluate risks posed by climate change
The aim is for states to do a better job planning for natural disasters they are likely to face in a warming world.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
Department of Energy asks for feedback on cost-effectiveness of building energy codes
DOE’s RFI wants input on how to improve methodology on cost assessment.
Codes and Standards | Apr 22, 2015
New York State renews design-build authority
Five state agencies are allowed to use design-build on certain projects.
Codes and Standards | Apr 22, 2015
OSHA’s estimated cost of silica rule said to underestimate impact by $4.5 billion annually
The coalition says that OSHA’s flawed cost estimates point to flaws in the rule, and has urged the federal agency to reconsider its approach.
Codes and Standards | Apr 22, 2015
2016 Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings draft available for public review
The comment period is open until May 29.
Codes and Standards | Apr 22, 2015
GBCI renamed Green Business Certification Inc.
The name change reflects the organization’s expanded certification and credentialing services.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 16, 2015
Seattle’s size restriction on micro apartments blamed for rise in rents
Seattle’s city planner recently said that the council’s new rules have made small apartments more expensive to build and charged the board with “overreaching” and not giving micro-housing “a fair shake.”
Green | Apr 16, 2015
New version of Building Energy Data Exchange Specification launched
BEDES is a dictionary that facilitates consistent exchange of building characteristics and energy use data between tools and databases in the building energy efficiency sector.
