Congestion pricing is a great way to lessen the traffic problems that cause headaches for people in large metro areas.  It has been proven that this method of traffic control does decrease traffic volume, encourages people to use public transportation, and has a positive impact on the environment.  The city of Stockholm has proven to the world that congestion pricing is a solution to many traffic problems.

Stockholm ran a seven month trial of a congestion tax program before deciding whether or not to permanently implement the program and to see if the system would have a measurable impact on traffic congestion problems.  Trial was accompanied by the provision of additional public transportation and ran from January 3, 2006 until July 31, 2006.  During the trial, 197 new buses and an additional 16 new bus routes were integrated into the existing public transportation system.  The congestion tax applies to the majority of vehicles driving in or out of inner-city Stockholm on weekdays between 6:30am and 6:29pm.  Certain vehicles are exempt from this tax, including emergency vehicles, buses, diplomatic and foreign vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds, and vehicles using green fuels.  

Many local officials deemed the Stockholm trial of the congestion tax program a success.  A decrease of 22% in vehicle traffic was accomplished on weekdays between 6:30am and 6:30pm while the charge was in effect.  A 24 hour decrease of 19% was also observed.  Private vehicles made up the majority of the reduction in trips through the taxing points with about a 30% drop while truck traffic dropped by 10% in total.  An increase in green fueled vehicles was also observed during the trial; however, it is probable that many other factors contributed to this rise in numbers.  In general, a reduction in travel times was also experienced by travelers.

As predicted, there was a sharp rise in the number of people who chose to ride public transportation as an alternative to paying the congestion tax.  In anticipation of this spike in travelers, the city added additional rail departures and elongated existing trains and more buses and bus routes.  During the trail, daily public transportation rider-ship increased by approximately 40,000 people, which correlates to an increase of 6%.  Traffic expects calculated that at least 4% of this rise is due to the congestion tax trial.  Stockholm also increased the amount of parking spaces available at park-and-ride sites prior to the beginning of the trial.  Use of these sites increased by 23% and may have been influenced by the provision of free parking in these areas during the trial period.

Despite the fact that the Stockholm congestion trials only lasted seven months, several environmental benefits could be observed.  The inner-city of Stockholm experienced a 14% reduction in traffic related emissions and the Stockholm region saw a 3% reduction.  The level of greenhouse gases being emitted fell by about 40% in inner-city Stockholm and the level of Nitrogen oxides have also fallen by a notable level.  The reduction of vehicle emissions in Stockholm could have a noticeable impact on the quality of life of residents and may possibly be attributed to a reduction in premature deaths.  A noticeable reduction in the amount of traffic accidents with injuries was also observed and could translate to the prevention of up to 70 vehicle accident related injuries per year.

The Stockholm trials of the congestion tax ended on July 31, 2006 and were a huge success.  The computer system held up, vehicle traffic was reduced by 22%, and the environmental quality in Stockholm rose by a considerable amount.  Ironically, the volume of traffic traveling in and out of Stockholm instantly shot up to exceed pre-trial amounts as soon as the trials were completed.  Despite the overwhelming negative opinions against the congestion tax, the government has decided that the tax will be implemented and was set to resume permanently August 1, 2007.

A successful congestion charging program is not only a possibility in America, it is being considered for New York City.  The program proposed by mayor Michael Bloomberg, and supported by Governor Spitzer, very closely resembles the charging system that has been in effect in London since 2003 and the congestion charging tax in Stockholm.   The system under review in New York City would specifically focus on the Manhattan area found below 86th Street; however, they are still looking at multiple scenarios for locations of the charging areas.  

Phone surveys were conducted in 2006 and helped to identify many of the perceived positive and negative impacts of issuing a congestion charge for lower Manhattan.  Respondants identified many more positive outcomes from the fee than negative externalities.  Many of the respondents felt that the proposed program would help emergency vehicles drastically cut down their response times to emergencies.  A majority of people thought that taxies and buses would be able to cut down their travel times when moving through the area.  A total of 74% of respondents felt that congestion charging would lead to a safer pedestrian environment, and an impressive 77% of respondents agreed that congestion pricing would have an impact on noise and air pollution.  The Stockholm trials were able to prove that there was indeed a decrease in the level of air pollution as a direct result of their congestion tax, unfortunately there was no observable effect on the level of noise pollution.  

New York is a prime area to start a successful congestion charging program.  The city now has the experiences of Stockholm to serve as an example of the overwhelming success of congestion taxes or fees.  Stockholm has proven that congestion taxes work to reduce high volumes of traffic and cause a marked improvement in the environmental quality of the inner city without causing any economic problems.  More importantly, Stockholm has shown that creating the infrastructure and utilizing the technology is not only possible but also extremely effective and worthwhile.