The Dutch Way

While thinking about Oxy’s bike sharing program I began to reminisce about my time abroad in Amsterdam where bikers dominate the road. Unlike here in LA, and the majority of the U.S., it is less common drive a car than it is to ride a bike in the Netherlands. Sure, Amsterdam’s infrastructure is much more conducive to cyclists than LA, but for Oxy students why not make the switch to bikes, at least for local travel?

Then I remembered reading about a recent Dutch initiative to reduce automobile usage and greenhouse gas emissions by imposing a driving tax that would charge drivers seven cents a mile. The plan would use GPS systems in every car to keep track of mileage and charge drivers automatically. The charges would be higher during high traffic hours and for large and commercial vehicles. The Dutch cabinet approved the plan last November but is awaiting approval by parliament. It is estimated that the driving tax would cut traffic by 15 percent and reduce emissions from transport by 10 percent. If this plan is approved by the Dutch parliament, it can be assumed that Dutch cyclists will only further dominate the roads.

Thus, in following Dutch ingenuity, how about we impose some sort of “tax” on driving? By “we” I would like to say the U.S. government, but if such a law is struggling to gain national support in the Netherlands I assume it has no chance in the U.S.; instead, I mean Oxy. Maybe students would reduce their use of motor vehicles if they were held partially accountable for the impact that their driving has on the environment. After all, Oxy is one of the few schools that allows students to park for free on campus. Even a small fee might deter students from bringing a car to campus. To further this deterrence, we must provide students with an alternative. This is where the bike-sharing program comes into play.

I understand that charging students to drive, or more realistically to park on campus would be an unpopular initiative, so maybe doing things the other way around by first providing an alterative to driving. If the program is successful then maybe we won’t need to charge students to drive, but rather students will choose not to on their own.