This article describes what the author coins as the "virtuous circle" of enacting a downtown toll cost in major metropolitan areas in the United States, as the precedent for such a toll has been seen in London. The authorargues that, although London has experienced very favorable results, the implementation of such a toll in the United States would lead to even larger benefits. Some of these include a 21 percent increase in urban service,a 26 percent fare decrease, a 31 percent patronage increase, and an increase in service speed. The differences between London and a typical city inthe United States have led the author to the conclusion that a tax of this nature of private vehicle use in downtown areas would not only increase services and decrease prices, but also be beneficial to the public transitcompanies themselves in terms of lower operating costs.
Abstract