My bro was telling me that increasing the number of freeway on-ramps and off-ramps would help traffic, because even stacked freeways would be useless unless traffic could be effectively channeled to alternate routes. Just one option I remembered him telling me about.

 

Well look what they're planning in Britain for congestion - charging for road use by the mile with varying rates! I believe it's Oregon or Washington states that also want or are planning something similar.

Road pricing ‘only alternative to UK gridlock’
By Darren Dodd
Published: June 9 2005 03:00 | Last updated: June 9 2005 14:19

The introduction of road pricing could be the only alternative to American-style gridlock on Britain’s roads, Alastair Darling said on Thursday.

The transport secretary unveiled his department’s latest thinking on road charging in a speech to the Social Market Foundation. Such schemes could cut congestion by almost half with only four per cent less cars using the road, he said.

Mr Darling called for a wide-ranging debate, emphasising the need to build a consensus for change, including other political parties, local authorities and the general public. “Public support is important. If you can’t persuade the public that there is `something in it for you’, then we are unlikely to get off the starting blocks,” he said.

There was no quick fix to end the problems of traffic congestion, Mr Darling said. The radical move to introduce charging by distance travelled would span several parliaments and would need local pilot testing before a national scheme emerged.

“To do that, we’ll need to work with one or more local authorities. No decisions have been made about where they might be. But we need to be making those decisions in the next two years, with a pilot up and running in five to six years,’’ he said

A feasibility study has already set out a range out a range of charges from 2p a mile, through to Ł1.34 a mile on the busiest roads, Mr Darling said, with the maximum charge only paid by half a per cent of traffic.

The government’s Transport Innovation Fund will make up to Ł200m a year available to support local and regional transport strategies. Local authorities will be invited to come forward with solutions to tackle congestion, including measures based on pricing.

The Future of Transport, the government’s white paper published in July, said road-pricing could play an important part in Britain’s transport strategy over the next 30 years with the technology available to make it possible within 10 to 15 years.

There was nothing in in the speech to indicate whether road-charging could become a new source of tax revenue. Mr Darling has said previously that it was not his intention to introduce any additional charges for the motorist but to make a switch from other charges.

The initiative was broadly welcomed from politicians and business groups.

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrats transport spokesman, said the public could see the logic behind road charging. He added: “Any system should be revenue neutral and based on location, pollution, and congestion. Road charging is only part of the solution, and must not be seen as a substitute for an integrated public transport system.’’

Jo Valentine, chief executive of London First, the lobby group, said: “Doing nothing is not an option for the capital. Some 40 per cent of the UK’s congestion is in London, costing between Ł4bn and Ł8bn a year.”

The government already plans to introduce a national road charging system for trucks in 2008.

 

Rub it in Mr. Entrepreneur.

I would never live in a city where the traffic is so bad. My patience is very thin and I would move to the boonies. Yes you give up certain things for others.

 

Well...you have to take the good with the bad anywhere you live. Yes, earthquakes, mudslides, wildfires, salt air on exposed metal, and of course, traffic, are indeed problems in coastal CA. But there are many good things about SoCal too.....you yourself have spoken about them a number of times.

Same where I live. The great economy, high wages, low unemployment, high standard of living, extensive dealers and service facilities, and many places to go and see has to be balanced against awful summer heat and humidity, occasional severe storms and winter storms, and, like CA, sky-high real estate and TRAFFIC.