Is it Time for a D.C. Congestion Charge?
WASHINGTON – A handful of Washington, D.C. officials are considering a congestion tax, similar to the one New York City officials are looking into, and the one in effect in London which has cut traffic in the city center by over 25 percent. The cost of driving into central London is approximately $16 per day. Londons congestion charge program, launched in 2003, has raised nearly $244 million in taxes, which is mainly spent on improving bus service in the restricted area. The congestion tax has had no effect on businesses and retail in the restricted zone, and has not adversely affected roads surrounding the zone, according to independent studies. Washington, D.C. suburbs are second only to New York for the longest commuting time in the nation, with up to 40 minutes of daily traffic jams for many drivers. Commuters also have other options to get to D.C., with the third-most highly used public transit system in the nation available to them. Supporters of the D.C. congestion charge say it
