Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Incoming! Bacon’s Rebellion Is Shooting Off Again!

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The Sept. 25, 2006, edition of Bacon’s Rebellion has been published. You can view it here. Not only can you read this week’s punditry and profundity, you can peruse our archives. Why not subscribe, and get the e-zine sent directly to your in-box?

Today’s columns include:

The Swedish Solution
If congestion pricing works in Sweden, why not in Virginia? Tolls that vary by congestion levels could dampen demand for added roadway capacity while raising new revenue.
by James A. Bacon

A Congestion Pricing Primer
Answers? You want answers? I asked the U.S. Department of Transportation about its congestion-pricing policies. The answers were so good I had to reproduce them whole.
by James A. Bacon

Future Still Shocking
In our age of accelerating change, some institutions adapt more quickly than others. Insights from the Tofflers’ new book help explain the challenges facing Virginia.
by Doug Koelemay

Jackpot Winner
Americans are like the overweight Lotto winner who squanders his winnings. The discovery of oil deep in the Gulf of Mexico will do little to halt the coming energy crash.
by EM Risse

A New Transportation Equation
Virginia once led the nation in seeking private- sector solutions for transportation problems. We will have a chance in few days to burnish our tarnished capitalistic credentials.
by Geoffrey Segal

Pouring Water on Sand
Virginia legislators propose increasing subsidies for the Washington Metro — an unaccountable organization plagued by operational blunders and financial mismanagement.
by Phil Rodokanakis

No Regional Goverment!
If you like the idea of taxation without representation… if you’re looking to enrich your cronies without public oversight… you’ll love the idea of regional government.
by James Atticus Bowden

Who’s Watching the Richmond Media?
Part I: Community weeklies diverge on news council idea.
by Conaway Haskins

Who’s Watching the Richmond Media?
Part II: Blogs to the Rescue?
by Conaway Haskins

The Five-Legged Dog
Asserting that Rail to Dulles is an effective solution to Northern Virginia’s transportation problems does not make it so. The project is broken, and it’s time to re-think mobility solutions for the Dulles corridor.
by William Vincent

The Bridal Path to Nowhere
How Virginia can beat its traffic woes: Stop wasting money on dumb projects, establish performance measures and don’t give municipalities more power over land use!
by Ron Utt

Nice & Curious Questions
A Heartbeat Away: Vice Presidents from Virginia
by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs

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2 responses to “Incoming! Bacon’s Rebellion Is Shooting Off Again!”

  1. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Re congestion pricing primer.

    “The two priced lanes on SR-91 in Southern Calif. handle more traffic than the four unpriced lanes combined.”

    I have no doubt this is true, just as it is true that the car pool lanes carry mor people that the other lanes, although most people don’t believe it.

    But, what does either of these examples say about waht people are willing to pay in cold hard cash or the inconvenience of carpooling vs what they are willing to pay in terms of time, aggravation, gas, and congestion?

    Also notice that in California the alternative priced lanes are in addition to the free lanes and come at additional cost.

  2. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Why is it that we belive a 5 to 8% reduction in traffic will result in a 50% reduction in congestion, but a 5 to 8% increase in capacity won’t?

    The answer is simple if you think about it. The 5 to 8% reduction in demand comes at the price of a continuing every day cost. The 5 to 8% increase in capacity comes at a one time cost, which we then expect to last into infinity.

    If we dedicated the same cost on a daily basis as congestion pricing is going to cost us, could we then travel more freely?

    I’ll grant you, there are undesirable side effects, but we don’t yet know what the undesirable side effects of congestion pricing will be.

    I’m in favor of congestion pricing. I’m just waving the caution flag and suggesting that we calibrate the reality meter.

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