Editing Congestion pricing (section)

==== Public controversy ====
Experience from the few cities where congestion pricing has been implemented shows that social and political acceptability is key. Public discontent with congestion pricing, or rejection of congestion pricing proposals, is due mainly to the inequality issues, the economic burden on neighboring communities, the effect on retail businesses and the economic activity in general, and the fears that the revenues will become just another tax.

Congestion pricing remains highly controversial with the public both before and after implementation. This has in part been resolved through [[referendum]]s, such as after the seven-month trial period in [[Stockholm congestion tax|Stockholm]];<ref name="stockholm-trials">{{cite web |title=Stockholmsförsöket |publisher=Stockholmsförsöket |url=http://www.stockholmsforsoket.se/ |access-date=2008-07-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715053128/http://www.stockholmsforsoket.se/ |archive-date=2007-07-15 }}</ref> however this creates a debate as to where the border line for the referendum should go, since it is often the people living outside the urban area who have to pay the tax, while the external benefit is granted to those who live within the area. In Stockholm there was a majority in the referendum within the city border (where the votes counted), but not outside.<ref>{{cite web|title=Resultat från folkomröstningen – hela staden |publisher=Stockholms stad |url=http://www.stockholm.se/OmStockholm/Forvaltningar-och-bolag/Andra-verksamheter-/Valnamnden/Folkomrostning-om-miljoavgiftertrangselskatt-/Resultat-fran-folkomrostningen---per-stadsdelsomrade/ |access-date=2007-07-18 |language=sv }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trängselskatt – Resultat av folkomröstningar |publisher=Kommunförbundet Stockholms län |url=http://val.cscs.se/ |access-date=2008-07-15 |language=sv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608193744/http://val.cscs.se/ |archive-date=2008-06-08 }}</ref>

Some concerns have also been expressed regarding the effects of cordon area congestion pricing on economic activity and land use,<ref>{{cite web|author=Elena Safirova |date=September 2006 |url=http://www.rff.org/rff/documents/rff-dp-06-37.pdf |title=Congestion Pricing: Long-Term Economic and Land-Use Effects |publisher=Resources for the Future. RFF DP 06-37 |access-date=2008-07-15 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719031656/http://www.rff.org/RFF/Documents/RFF-DP-06-37.pdf |archive-date=2008-07-19 }}</ref> as the benefits are usually evaluated from the urban transportation perspective only. However, congestion pricing schemes have been used with the main objective of improving urban quality and to preserve historical heritage in the small cities.<ref name="Znojmo"/><ref>{{cite web |author=European Local Transport Information Service (ELTIS) |date=2007 |url=http://www.eltis.org/study_sheet.phtml?study_id=1610&mainID=458 |title=Controlled Vehicle Access, Valleta, Malta |access-date=2008-03-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907033359/http://www.eltis.org/study_sheet.phtml?study_id=1610&mainID=458 |archive-date=2009-09-07 }}</ref>

The effects of a charge on business have been disputed; reports have shops and businesses being heavily impacted by the cost of the charge, both in terms of lost sales and increased delivery costs in [[London congestion charge|London]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2004/04/22/cncong22.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614115756/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fmoney%2F2004%2F04%2F22%2Fcncong22.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-06-14 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |title=Congestion charge cost £300m, say Oxford St traders |first=Caroline |last=Muspratt |date=2004-04-21 |access-date=2008-07-15 }}</ref> while others show that businesses were then supporting the charge six months after implementation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2003/aug/18/londonpolitics.greaterlondonauthority |title=Business backs congestion charge |date=2003-08-13 |first=Andrew |last=Clark |access-date=2008-07-15 |publisher=Guardian News and Media |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Reports show business activity within the charge zone had been higher in both [[productivity]] and [[Profit (accounting)|profitability]] and that the charge had a "broadly neutral impact" on the London wide economy,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/FourthAnnualReportFinal.pdf |title=Impacts monitoring – Fourth Annual Report |publisher=[[Transport for London]] |access-date=2008-02-11 |date=June 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228180828/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/FourthAnnualReportFinal.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-28 }}</ref> while others claim an average drop in business of 25% following the 2007 extension.<ref name="bbc20070521">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6676671.stm |title=Traders rally against charge zone |date=2007-05-21 |work=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=2008-07-15}}</ref>

Other criticism has been raised concerning the environmental effects on neighborhoods bordering the congestion zone, with critics claiming that congestion pricing would create "parking lots" and add more traffic and pollution to those neighborhoods,<ref>{{cite news |author1=Schuster, Karla |author2=James T. Madore |title=Silver hits brakes over city traffic plan |url=http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-stcong125252662jun12,0,3435226.story |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |date=2007-06-12 |access-date=2007-06-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907131134/http://www.newsday.com/search/ny-stcong125252662jun12%2C0%2C3435226.story |archive-date=September 7, 2009 }} ''Note: access to this source in no longer available for free.''</ref> and the imposition of a [[regressive tax]] on some commuters.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rita |last=Nissan |title=Assembly Speaker Silver Not Sold on Congestion Pricing Plan |url=http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=70617 |work=[[NY1]] |date=2007-06-13 |access-date=2008-07-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412020716/http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=70617 |archive-date=2008-04-12 }}</ref><ref name="hakim-June12">{{cite news | last=Hakim | first=Danny | title=Silver Challenges Health Benefits Promised in Manhattan Toll Plan | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/nyregion/12silver.html | work=The New York Times | date=2007-06-12 | access-date=2008-07-15 }}</ref> Stockholm's trial of congestion pricing, however, showed a reduction in traffic in areas outside the congestion zone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stockholmsforsoket.se/upload/Hushall_eng.pdf|title=Facts about the Evaluation of the Stockholm Trial|last=Söderholm|first=Gunnar|publisher=Stockholmsförsöket|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228220202/http://www.stockholmsforsoket.se/upload/Hushall_eng.pdf|archive-date=2012-02-28}}</ref> Other opponents argue that the pricing could become a tax on middle- and lower-class residents, since those citizens would be affected the most financially.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dobnik |first=Verena |title=NYC Lawmakers Hold Hearing on 'Congestion Pricing' Traffic Plan |url=http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=13380 |work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |date=2007-06-12 |access-date=2015-10-18}} [http://50.56.218.160/archive/category.php?category_id=27&id=13380 Alt URL]{{cbignore}}</ref> The installation of cameras for tracking purposes may also raise civil liberties concerns.<ref>{{cite news | last=Confessore | first=Nicholas | title=In Legislators' Scrutiny, Traffic Proposal Faces Hard Questioning | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/nyregion/09hearing.html | work=The New York Times | date=2007-06-09 | access-date=2008-07-15 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Hakim, Danny  |author2=Ray Rivera | title=City Traffic Pricing Wins U.S. and Spitzer's Favor | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/nyregion/08congestion.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=2007-06-08 | access-date=2008-07-15 }}</ref>