There was a study published about how much air pollution dropped in NYC during the COVID lockdown. PM2.5 was found to have dropped 36%. However with more robust analysis, this drop was discovered to not be statistically significant. I would caution anyone reading this who is tempted by confirmation bias.
NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
81–90 of 211 posts
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s a tariff on DRIVING in Manhattan, the place in America you least need to drive.
You have never tried to leave the city for the suburbs after 9 pm. Driving is still immensely useful, as I sit in my Uber on the way home.
It sounds like the problem is living in the suburbs.
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#83"average daily peak concentrations of PM2.5 dropped by 3.05 µg/m³. For context, background pollution levels in the region typically hover around 8-9 µg/m³, making this reduction particularly significant for public health." I think that the numbers are already low enough that the drop is actually not very significant, at all. Is there any data that shows better health outcomes at 8 vs 13 for PM 2.5 levels? From my und…
This is not accurate. The WHO (which recommends lower levels than US authorities) recommends an annual PM 2.5 level below 5 µg/m³: https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/WHO-Air-Quality-Gu... But more importantly, when it comes to PM 2.5 levels, there are really no safe levels, the risks are just dose dependent, so lower is always better. In a city the size of NYC, lowering air pollution by 20% means a significant…
That's the strictest "policy" I've seen and I was asking about any specific health data not WHO guidelines
"In NYC, around 1 in 20 deaths is linked to air pollution."
A difference between 8 and 12 PM 2.5 levels won't change that
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
You act like driving in NYC is free even without the congestion price. You realize how much it costs to park in Manhattan right? $50/day? And if you are coming from the Jersey side, you realize how much the toll is for the tunnel? $17-27. So yea, if you're poor, you're not driving your beater to SoHo and parking in a lot for $50 daily.
Most people driving into the city aren’t parking in Manhattan. When I was living in west Chester county, I would drive in into midtown and always find street parking near Columbia, free. I was surprised how easy it was to drive into the city because I heard lots of stories that it wasn’t. No tolls either.
Columbia is over 40 blocks north of the congestion zone. You’d be able to do the exact same thing today.
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
The American mind truly struggles with the concept of people not owning cars
The European mind quivers at the thought of a state with a bigger area than most EU countries I like walking around new cities, but a lot of people are car life types
But we're talking about New York City here, not Kansas. Specifically the congestion zone which during the work day is the most congested place in the world (187,500 people/sqm).
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#86Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not in NYC where less than half the population has access to a car.
This mostly commuters and tradesmen. You aren’t going to get your tools on the train, snd you are driving into the city from white plains or somewhere similar.
Tradesmen pass the charge onto their customers. Commuters already have to pay huge parking fees, by comparison the congestion charge is small change.
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
The objection that pricing will damage local retail, in aggregate retail has thrived from pricing. https://bettercities.substack.com/p/congestion-pricing-is-a-...
Retail where? Inside the congestion zone? What about outside it?
I don't know, but specifically many people objected that the tax would hurt retail inside and they were wrong.
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
No it’s not. NYC transit is already one of the most expensive in the world and quality is suspect. Pushing money into a dysfunctional structure doesn’t make it functional and might make it worse. A money grab from the public that goes through a maze of expenses. The solution was to re-structure the MTA. But that’s hard work. Politicians would rather blame the other side and just raise taxes. The people like it becaus…
The quality is not suspect. It is one of the world’s few 24/7 systems, and there are many capital improvements happening constantly. For example, making more stations accessible and improving switching equipment to improve reliability and volume. This comment is typical HN “government bad can do no right” fodder. The MTA is truly a marvel in the service it provides. The only advantage it has is age, which is why it i…
The MTA is billions in the red because it overpays the union workers and fails to commercialize the stations
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
The quality is not suspect. It is one of the world’s few 24/7 systems, and there are many capital improvements happening constantly. For example, making more stations accessible and improving switching equipment to improve reliability and volume. This comment is typical HN “government bad can do no right” fodder. The MTA is truly a marvel in the service it provides. The only advantage it has is age, which is why it i…
The MTA is billions in the red because it overpays the union workers and fails to commercialize the stations
I simply do not care if my public services are “in the red”. Let’s make them entirely in the red, please.
Re: NYC congestion pricing cuts air pollution by a fifth in six months
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
This mostly commuters and tradesmen. You aren’t going to get your tools on the train, snd you are driving into the city from white plains or somewhere similar.
Tradesmen pass the charge onto their customers. Commuters already have to pay huge parking fees, by comparison the congestion charge is small change.
> Tradesmen pass the charge onto their customers
You mean to say people without cars are paying the congestion tax? :P