Congestion pricing: the political viability of a neoliberal spatial mobility proposal in London, Stockholm, and New York City

Abstract

This article examines the debates and contradictions that surrounded the promotion of congestion pricing proposals in London, Stockholm, and New York City. On the one hand, congestion pricing is a neoliberal urban proposal that seeks to reduce motor traffic in a cordoned area by pricing out certain drivers. On the other hand, the political authorities believe that the success of congestion pricing proposals depends on the degree of redistributive elements regarding spatial mobility that are built into them. Redistribution in the form of improved mass transit provision was proposed in all three cities and was implemented in Stockholm and London. The problem with this political gesture is that neoliberals are lukewarm to redistributive politics and consider spatial mobility to be a matter of capacity and not a right. This means that neoliberal political parties because of their skepticism of redistributive politics, have more difficulties in imposing congestion pricing schemes than Left Parties. The congestion pricing proposal of the New York City failed because it was proposed by a neoliberal city administration without a credible redistributive spatial mobility plan.

Challenges and opportunities in developing urban modal shift

“…Secondly a publicity campaign cost approximately £20 million was launched prior to the introduction of the scheme, to ensure the understanding and compliance of the public (Ogilvie et al, 2004). However, an important extension to the scheme in 2006 was removed two years later when a new mayor was voted in on this premise; demonstrating the problems of effecting a sustainable transport system under the influence of the electoral cycle as it leads to an intrinsic need for those in office to please the electorate to aid their re-election (Chronopoulos, 2012). The challenges in developing greater political strength to circumvent such issues are discussed further in section 4.3.…”

Bus rapid transit as a neoliberal contradiction

“…Some authors suggest that there is a possibility for neoliberal policies to create political opportunities that are progressive, especially in cities in the Global South where we see an increase in regulation and social spending (Ferguson, 2009), or that it is possible to use neoliberal tools to reach redistributive or development ends (Parnell and Robinson, 2012). In another transportation example, congestion pricing is a market-based policy that is often proposed with redistributive outcomes in the form of increased transit spending (Chronopoulos, 2012).…”

The Making of the Orderly City: New York since the 1980s

“…His administration favored big businesses and developers and convinced large corporations from around the world to make New York their headquarters or to have a sizable presence in the city. 86 Bloomberg and his deputy mayor for economic development, Daniel L. Doctoroff, have been described as the architects of the luxury city, an effort to make affluent people (rather than the middle class) comfortable in New York. Public policies included the rezoning of thousands of city blocks so that private developers could build luxury condominiums, high-end shops, boutique hotels, lavish entertainment facilities, and corporate offices.…”