Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper
Distance traveled is already taxed by way of the gas tax. Tax commercial parking lots if you want to raise some monies for a truckload or two of rail. These are used mostly be commuters (over businesses) and commuters with higher disposable income.
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If you want to tax distance, the gas tax will do. But travelling 5km through downtown Toronto at rush hour isn't the same as 5km through farmers' fields.
Parking taxes are also a good tool, but they are too blunt to differentiate between someone driving/parking at the peak of rush hour and someone doing it at 11am when traffic isn't heavy.
Non-variable tolls are similarly blunt, charging people no matter the congestion.
I'm a fan of congestion pricing because it's not just a tax or a revenue tool: It actually gives you something in return. You may pay $3-4 at the peak of rush hour, but in return, you get a smoother and more predictable commute. So if you have/want to drive, you might pay a little, but you're getting your money's worth in saved time and less frustration thanks to that toll. But at 8 pm when there's not really much traffic anyways, you pay nothing since tolling wouldn't make your trip any easier.