congestion pricing

A US GAO review of some 41 road pricing projects sponsored by some 19 tollers around the US finds they have produced some useful benefits in reducing congestion but suggests various 'equity concerns' may hamper them increasingly in the future. The report is most useful as a listing of the projects and their various characteristics.

July 1 last year (2010) the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge saw a pair of radical changes in the toll structure: (1) a $4.00 to $6.00 increase in the peakhours' toll rate for cars while the offpeak toll remained the same (2) a $2.50 toll on previously free carpool vehicles (HOV3) in peakhours.

Jack Opiola of D'Artagnan Consulting LLP says that our report on China's discussion of congestion pricing got some of the history wrong in its references to innovations in Hong Kong and Singapore. Now a northern Virginia based toll consultant Opiola worked in Asia.

The Illinois Tollway will study converting the central two reversible lanes of the I-90 Kennedy Expressway to toll managed lanes as part of a larger study on using variable pricing to improve performance of the I-90 corridor from Chicago northwest toward Rockford.

The board of the New Jersey Turnpike voted today to end off-peak discounts for E-ZPass for car drivers with non-New Jersey accounts. So drivers with a Pennsylvania Turnpike, New York or Maryland E-ZPass and a PANYNJ account will pay full toll rates off-peak.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Offices of Operations and Innovative Program Delivery have launched a new webinar series, entitled “Overcoming the Challenges of Congestion Pricing.” These webinars are aimed at state and local agencies that are currently in the process of implementing or would like to implement congestion pricing; decision-makers/political leaders who want to better understand the benefits of congestion pricing; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) that may be interested in incorporating pricing into their planning activities; and others who just want to lear

Planitizen website has a video on congestion pricing posted (see link at bottom) that will reinforce public opinion against the concept - though its authors seem to see it as a promotion. Produced by Streetfilms with the subtitle "Moving Beyond the Automobile" it features Sam Schwartz standing in New York City streets and it dwells on the example of the zonal congestion pricing in London.

A congestion pricing plan proposed for downtown San Francisco would levy a $3 toll or 'fee' for travel in a downtown zone 6am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm weekdays. The plan being advanced by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) would cap the congestion toll at two trips or $6/day for travel in and out of the central area as well as within it.

Road pricing proposals have to be designed to benefit motorists if they're going to be implemented according to Bruce Schaller, deputy commissioner in the New York City department of transportation.

407ETR are raising tolls differentially to boost revenues and to manage congestion. Toll changes announced today and effective Feb 1 2010 see an increase in the main peak hours premium from 10.3% to 16.3% over off-peak.