Would Congestion Fees Clear Your Way?

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is trying to institute a bold congestion relief plan for Manhattan that would charge an $8 fee for carsand a $21 fee for trucks that enter the city's busiest neighborhoods. Similar ideas are in use in a handful of cities outside the United States,most notably London. But what about Washington? We have plenty of downtown congestion in need of relief. Researchers Elena Safi rova,Winston Harrington and Sebastien Houde of the District-based nonprofi t group Resources for the Future studied the idea late last year. Here'swhat they found: