Congestion in London's central business district got very bad a few years ago. So bad, went the wisecrack, that the average travel speed of 8mph in the 1890s (by horse) was now, in the era of the automobile, still 8mph.rnIn 2003 Mayor Ken Livingstone instituted cordon pricing. There would be a toll for driving during business hours inside a 16-square-mile section of downtown London. Instead of toll-booths London is using digital cameras that snap license plate photos as vehicles pass underneath. A few days later the vehicle owner receives a bill of $8 to $13 per trip.rnThe results were extraordinary. Congestion decreased by 21% and pollution by 15%. Traffic speed increased by 25% during business hours and bus ridership by 6%. A poll of 300 London companies found 71% of them said congestion pricing hadn't hurt their businesses.
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