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

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Source for that statistic?

[artic-monkeys.livejournal.com]

I am really just guessing on that one. My thoughts being that People looking for parking drive around a few times before they find a spot and the whole square is easy to avoid if you don't need to go to it. Most people who need to drive through it live nearby right? It is not a direct route in and out of boston cambridge like Mass ave. is. The only time I drive through it is when I am going to the parking permit place or to some place in the square. What are others finding?

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I've certainly driven and especially biked through it (I bike a lot more than I drive) on my way to somewhere else, just because I happen to know those streets a lot better than any of the alternate routes, which is why I'd like to see a source before I buy that statistic.

[artic-monkeys.livejournal.com]

where do you live?