[zeroonetwothree]

Having more money lets you buy more of everything. Yet you are only concerned about roads (which aren’t even used by the poorest segment since they can’t afford a car)? Why not focus on making something more fundamental to existence free, like food or shelter?

Oh right it’s because it creates poor incentives and overuse (tragedy of the commons) exactly like we see with roads (and parking). If car drivers had to pay the full cost of the resources they use it would reduce wasteful driving substantially. And we could use money collected in that way to pay for transit (or just give it as a tax rebate to low income people if you prefer).

[Tinyyy]

Yea you’re exactly right, there’s a tragedy of the commons situation right now. You could either decrease the demand or increase the supply to fix this problem, and it seems pretty impossible to increase the supply (build a bridge across the Hudson? That’s crazy). So here we are.

[zip1234]

The average speed driving in Manhattan is something like 7mph. There is not enough space for cars. Congestion charge is such a no-brainer easy solution here.

[nimbleplum40]

Another bridge wouldn’t do much to fix supply since you’re still dumping cars into one of the most dense urban environments in the world.

The only sustainable way to increase the supply of trips into lower manhattan is increased public transit.

[aqme28]

Encouraging transit ridership does actually increase the supply. You get far far far more people moved via buses and trains.

Buses account for about 73% of people moved in the Lincoln tunnel, but only 10% of vehicles.

http://www.nymtc.org/data_services/HBT.html

[fellowmartian]

Unironically I’d hate a new bridge across the Hudson around the Holland Tunnel, that area is the crown jewel of Manhattan and its seafront should be protected.

It’s also one of the few safe bike paths in the city where casual bikers would feel comfortable biking.

Additionally, we already have one Canal St in the area, we don’t need another.

Sorry for this small NIMBY rant.

[bobthepanda]

NIMBYism is not inherently a bad thing; it was originally coined by the waste management industry to describe opposition to local landfills and toxic waste dumps, which any sane person doesn't actually want to live next to.

(Yes, I know Europe and Japan build fancy incinerators with parks and whatnot that are very pleasant, but the odds of that being built in the US by penny-pinching private industry is nil.)