Acceptability, implementation, and transferability: An analysis of the London congestion charge zone

In London Mayor Ken Livingstone is undertaking a bold strategy. Elected in part from a manifesto promising transportation reform, Mr. Livingstone laid out the plans for a comprehensive congestion charging zone in Central London. The success or failure of London's version of a congestion charging policy will have a significant impact on the proliferation of congestion pricing worldwide. The application of such a policy in congested American cities is of special interest. The realities of implementing what could be called a revolutionary policy in the American political system could be beyond the reach of policymakers. Decentralized federal governance, conflicting spheres of influence, and the numerous relevant, and oftentimes self-interested, actors in American policymaking---especially in the realm of transportation policy---can stymie a widely beneficial project in its infancy.; With the goal of assessing the viability of congestion charging in the United States in mind, this paper will explore the following questions: (1) What are the goals of the London congestion charging scheme? (2) Has the London congestion charging scheme met its goals? (3) What unforeseen impacts has the congestion charge scheme generated? (4) Which elements of the policy can be implemented in American cities?...