The Overhead Wire Daily | March 26th, 2024 | Congestion Pricing Ending Radio?
There have been a lot of items around residential sorting and how it impacts people’s politics, or conversely how people’s politics impacts sorting. Analysis of thousands of homes in South Florida found that political party differences are important in explaining neighborhood political segregation and choices.
This also seems like it can explain some of the transportation choices and policies that are favored as well. As found in the research noted above, Republicans often sort themselves into lower density areas. But that also means they often need to drive into areas of higher density or center cities for jobs or cultural activities. This would appear to influence why certain policy choices are not welcome including (de)congestion pricing and why more MPOs with suburban representation widen roads to facilitate those trips.
But here’s another interesting potential connection. The loss of radio listeners. AM radio in particular has been under threat from the electric car revolution as it’s harder to get a signal in the car. Politicians and activists from both parties have pushed car companies to remedy the issue for different reasons, some political, some safety driven.
Now policies that are likely to get people to make less car trips such as (de)congestion pricing are also seen as a loss for the radio industry since it is likely to reduce driving and thus radio listeners. Of course listeners can stream many radio stations, but drivers often listen over the air. As mentioned, audio has seen many disruptions before; 8 tracks to satellite radio and everything in between. A small percentage of those who access Manhattan drive so I don’t know if it will make a huge difference, but it’s always interesting to see what people worry about when policies are proposed or come into effect.
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