Bostonians have long thought of traffic like the weather: a frustrating fact of life entirely out of our control. And while our weather might not be quite the worst in the world, our rush-hour traffic is, at least according to the national data firm Inrix.

Past attempts to fix this problem by building new capacity on our roads haven’t worked. Constructing new roadways is expensive and only induces new demand, leading to a Sisyphean dilemma where traffic relief appears close but is never quite reached. Just ask a rush hour driver inching across the Zakim Bridge, the jewel of the $24 billion Big Dig.

Since the completion of the Big Dig, we’ve essentially thrown up our hands and accepted defeat. But other regions of the country have been moving ahead.

Several large metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas, use “time of day” pricing as a tool to manage congestion on key commuting corridors, and it’s time for Boston to do the same. Congestion pricing — transportation parlance for using tolls — nudges drivers to avoid driving at the busiest times on the busiest roads or to choose alternate modes of transportation. Cities have found it to be a three-for-one solution: reducing clogged roads, lessening harmful air pollution and generating revenue to provide commuters with more options.

An MBTA Red Line train derailed just outside of JFK/UMass Station in June. (Courtesy Boston Fire Department)

Unsurprisingly, Boston lawmakers have begun considering such a policy. Given Boston’s acutely jammed arteries, the income profile of drivers and the myriad associated health risks of vehicle emissions, the time is right for us to be testing this tool. Ultimately, only a few people need to change their behavior to dissipate the familiar red-brake-light glare: Moving 5% of rush hour drivers off the road can increase traffic speeds by 20% or more.

Other cities are showing that it works. London cut its traffic congestion by 30%. Stockholm reduced congestion by 20%. New York City expects to save drivers and bus passengers 140,000 hours of travel time each day.

Critics of congestion pricing rightly question the policy’s fairness: Efficiency isn’t equity. Any road-pricing policy must address important concerns about whether it unduly burdens low-income commuters, who are just trying to get to work without yet another fee.