How Something as Simple as a Speeding Ticket can Worsen Inequities

Segmented pricing would benefit lower-income residents and ease costly enforcement measures. The leaders of America’s cities could take a major step toward equity and fairness for their residents by making relatively modest changes to long-accepted policies that often hurt ordinary people. One obvious place to begin: local fines, fees, and penalties. A $150 traffic fine is an inconvenience to those with sufficient funds yet can be disastrous for those without. Tailoring penalties and fees to a person’s ability to pay would be more fair and benefit many lower-income residents. Such an approach would encourage voluntary payment compliance in the first place and decrease reliance on costly penalty-driven enforcement.