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Over at the Harper’s Magazine blog,economist and author Dean Baker discusses pay-as-you-drive car insurance. [T]here is one thing we could do now that would change how people consume gasoline. We could switch from the current way in which people pay for auto insurance to a pay-by-the-mile system. Such a switch might reduce annual gasoline consumption by as much as 10 percent, without raising the cost of insurance for an average...

I wouldn’t call it momentum, exactly, but there seems to have been a bit of movement on the idea of replacing Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct with a surface boulevard—a modestly-priced alternative to an aerial rebuild or tunnel. Now, just to be clear, I’m still not convinced that this is an ideal solution. Transportation is complicated, and while other US cities that have removed downtown highways (San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Portland)...

A year ago, Seattle Mayor Gregg Nickels assembled a “Green Ribbon Commission” to advise him on how to keep his trend-setting Kyoto pledge. Last week, the commission released its report. The global significance and political symbolism of the event have drawn much well-earned comment. The report itself has not. How is it? Superb. I’m in love. It’s well researched, innovative, and (mostly) courageous. (Full disclosure: the commission is also full...

I while back I mentioned that Stockholm, Sweden was starting a short-term trial of congestion pricing—essentially, making drivers pay to enter downtown. London instituted a similar system in 2003, which has proven unexpectedly popular: it’s reduced traffic by 15 percent, which has boosting downtown driving speeds. Stockholm’s experiment seemed like it was off to a much rockier start—the city was far less congested than London, and the charges were, if...

The top findings from Sightline’s research on using Cascadia’s tax system to improve the region’s long-term well-being.

There’s been a bunchofcommentintheblogosphere today about hiking gas taxes—with the rough consensus that it’s ok environmental policy, tough on the poor, and politically risky (though perhaps not quite as unthinkable as it once was). So it’s interesting to note that Oregon—often considered a policy innovator among US states—is in the middle of an experiment that could eventually lead to a repeal of the state gas tax. Oregon’s transportation department is...

This will be fun to watch:  the city of Stockholm, Sweden is starting a trial run of a congestion pricing scheme that would make drivers pay about $7.50 per day to drive into downtown.  London has a similar, though considerably pricier, system:  drivers now have to pay about $14 to get into downtown London.  But Londoners have been surprisingly supportive, since the fees have made a considerable dent in congestion,...

NYC may be leading the next wave of driving-reduction initiatives as it considers congestion pricing for parts of Manhattan. According to the NY Times: "The idea is to charge drivers for entering the most heavily trafficked parts of Manhattan at the busiest times of the day. By creating a financial incentive to carpool or use mass transit, congestion pricing could smooth the flow of traffic, reduce delays, improve air quality...

Via Wired Magazine, a nifty idea from Lyon, France: a rent-a-bike program that lets subscribers borrow a bike for just over a dollar an hour.  The first half hour is free—which makes the service ideal for people who want to make short jaunts downtown, but don’t want to lug their bicycles with them wherever they go. Impressively, the service attracted 15,000 subscribers within the first 3 months. As the article...

First, London started charging cars a fee to enter the city center—a move widely credited with easing congestion and making it easier to get around in the crowded downtown. Now, the British government is considering instituting congestion pricing for the entire nation. Says this BBC article: The London scheme brought in two years ago is reckoned a success in reducing traffic congestion, despite the fears voiced in advance. The daily...