Congestion Charge Case Study

Before the commencement of yesterday's studio, I decided to do some background research on the London congestion charge (introduced in 2003) on which our future scenario is based. The findings proved to be quite significant, especially when considering how populous London really is.

The congestion tax was initially introduced to the central area of London (the CCZ), and was later extended to the west (the WEZ). The original charge was 5 euros, which was eventually increased to 8 euros, and presently sits at 10. A great amount of observation and research has been provided to gain an understanding of the charge's effects. Some of the gathered findings can be seen below in table format.

The overwhelming result of the charge introduction is that it created a large shift from personal vehicle use in the CBD to either public transportation or bicycles over a very short amount of time. This shows that the introduction of a congestion charge has proven to be a believable foundation for the transition into our scenario of no cars in the CBD over a much greater expanse of time. The tables also show that rather than diverting around the charge area, most people switched transportation methods altogether, which would mean there would be a smaller impact on traffic around the area when the toll is implemented.