phantom tollbooths in Davis Sq. ...

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

apropos of nothing and not a serious proposal but I was thinking about sales taxes last night, the discussion of tolls on 93 south and something to do with all the border violence going on in the world these days. Suddenly I had this image of tollbooths/checkpoints on the roads entering Davis Sq. Weird but interesting to speculate on.

The growth in popularity of the sq. has brought higher rents and housing prices, higher prices in stores and bars and general gentrification. The city of Somerville and the property owners benefit but the residents don't. Would be interesting to have a toll that went to offset the costs of gentrification to people who actually live here.

Comments

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[ron_newman]

There is no good reason for police cruisers to be in Downtown Crossing at all -- or in Davis Square, for that matter. These areas should be patrolled on foot.

Re: A healthy commercial district is a slow district

[komos.livejournal.com]

If it's not the cruisers, it's the ambulances. If it's not the ambulances, it's the delivery trucks. If it's not the delivery trucks, it's a whole host of otherwise motorized traffic that needs to be dodged. It's not Tremont Street by any stretch, but it definitely doesn't have the same feel as a pedestrian-only area.