4 Comments
Jul 10Liked by Luca Gattoni-Celli

As I just walked out of a building into the blaring siren of an ambulance, I also wonder whether the contribution of emergency vehicles to loudness might also be mitigated by fewer cars on the road.

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Jul 11Liked by Luca Gattoni-Celli

It failed due to political fecklessness. The inefficiencies in pouring out a bottle (congestion charging) can be fixed by letting air in (public transportation).

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I'm on board with this. In thermodynamics, the theoretically most efficient engine operates slowly and incrementally. In fluid dynamics, there is a theoretical limit to flow as well (try pouring out a soda bottle upside-down vs. at an angle). Political decisions should operate on the same principles. Pilots and other incremental movements allow the disruptions to be modulated so they don't disrupt the system. NY/NYC failed not because congestion pricing is wrong, but because they went for way too much too quickly. Anyone interested in politics should keep this in mind.

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NYC City Council approved a measure for citywide noise cameras to crackdown on loud cars. Looking forward to monitoring progress: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/12/04/what-to-know-about-noise-cameras---as-nyc-lawmakers-consider-cracking-down-on-illegal-mufflers-and-exhaust-systems/

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