Happy Earth Day, Cascadia!
But be warned: when it comes to eco-friendly policies, New York City may be lapping us. Says the NYTimes:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will call on Sunday for a raft of ambitious and sometimes contentious proposals that are intended to ease traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, build housing, improve mass transit and develop abandoned industrial land….
Toward that end, Mr. Bloomberg is expected to advocate more than 100 proposals, including charging drivers to enter the busiest sections of Manhattan, and using zoning and tax incentives to encourage the construction of 250,000 homes.
I imagine that New Yorkers—never a retiring lot—will have something to say about a London-style congestion pricing scheme. Most likely, quite a few New Yorkers will give the idea a Bronx cheer.
Still, it’s encouraging to see this idea catch on. It’s the sort of Earth Day idea that might wind up having an effect every day of the year.
UPDATE: Er, uh, maybe not. Looks like I may have blogged too soon—and that congestion pricing in the Big Apple is going nowhere, fast.
