I would suggest that people look at this analysis of London’s congestion pricing scheme.

Basically, they have license plate scanners set up at entry points around central London, and commuters are charged £8 per day to enter the center city (residents get a discount).

The proceeds from this charge go to mass transit.

Before implementing this, London speeds were less than 10 miles per hour, with 30% of the time being sitting not moving at all.

The impact of the scheme exceeded expectations. In the first year of the charge, traffic delays in London dropped by 30 percent, journey time reliability increased by 30 percent, and average speeds rose 17 percent, reflecting a sharp fall in traffic jams at intersections (the time spent traveling at speeds less than 6 mph decreased by one-third). The charge also changed who was using the roads: private car trips dropped by 34 percent, and trucks and vans by 5 to 7 percent, but bus, taxi, and bike trips all rose sharply. The overall impact was a noticeable improvement in traffic conditions.

The London experience has also shown that it’s possible – and important – to spread the benefits of congestion pricing widely. By committing to plough all the revenues raised by the congestion charge into public transportation improvements, London has ensured that congestion pricing didn’t just improve mobility for car drivers who can pay the charge (the “Lexus lanes” problem) but also increased access to the city centre for everyone. Innovative policies, such as the popular mass bike-share program in Paris, can also help to spread the benefits.

This is simple, it can be implemented in a matter of months, and it is revenue positive, which makes it too sensible to happen here.

Bloomberg tried to implement it in New York City, and the state legislature shot it down.