Green Brings Out the Experimental Side of Automakers

The mayor previously proposed a plan to charge a congestion fee of between $8 and $21 for cars entering midtown Manhattan, a plan modeled after London’s congestion charge, but the plan was shot down in April when Democrats in the State Assembly decided not to bring the proposal to the Assembly floor (see Green Light post).

The new plan, called Summer Streets, will ban cars, trucks and buses from a 6.9-mile stretch of streets through Manhattan, the New York Times reported, adding that the mayor views the initiative as an experiment that could expand if successful.

Omotoso characterized the move as "more of a symbolic gesture than something that’s going to have a real effect."

While the London charge has helped reduce rush-hour traffic in central London, restricting cars on Saturdays isn’t the same thing, he said.

"I think it’s an experiment worth trying, and it will definitely have some small impact on the environment, but it’s just three days," he said. "I think it’ll be popular with some residents and visitors who just like the idea of being able to walk around and not have to deal with traffic."

But while it’s likely to be welcomed initially, the test will come if the mayor decides the experiment is successful and should be expanded, he said.

"Then he’ll face more resistance, because even if people think it’s good for the environment and the city, if it changes their lifestyle and it’s an inconvenience, they will resist it at first," he said.

Omotoso, who lived in London when the congestion charge took effect, said people protested the charge at first, but now many residents like the reduced traffic.

San Francisco already has established car-free zones in parts of Golden Gate Park on Sundays and some Saturdays, and cities such as Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and El Paso, Texas, also are planning car-free events at public parks, according to The Christian Science Monitor.

Omotoso said he could see other cities, such as Boston and even parts of Los Angeles, beginning their own experiments if New York’s is successful.