01334286

Component

As highway agencies try to address their congestion problems, they are considering congestion pricing. Yet, evidence on the effect of congestion pricing on improving traffic conditions has been based on limited research. Also, such studies generally do not quantify, and account for, traffic diversions that result from congestion pricing. The research set out to simulate traffic conditions under different pricing scenarios, and to analyze the results to estimate the level of traffic diversion due to congestion pricing and the overall impacts of congestion pricing at the system level. The research suggests that, if a toll were to be implemented: (1) the percentage of drivers who would bypass the tolled facilities would increase as the toll increases, from 20% with a 20¢ toll to 30% with a $7.00 toll; (2) under the perception that pricing would improve their travel speed, “newcomers” (i.e., those who have never traveled on the tolled facilities when there is no toll) would be attracted to use the tolled facilities; (3) however, the “newcomers” would not be enough to offset the traffic diverted away from the tolled facilities; thereby reducing throughput, improving travel speed, and reducing total delay on the tolled facilities; (4) congestion pricing could improve, not only operations on the tolled facilities, but also operations on the adjacent network; (5) the greatest benefit to the adjacent network would be the total reduction in delay; and (6) the magnitude of the improvements would taper off when the toll reaches a certain level.

01329018

11-2048

English

20p

2011

Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures; Maps; References (3) ; Tables (4)

Congestion pricing; Highway operations; Road pricing; Toll roads; Traffic congestion; Traffic delays; Traffic diversion; Traffic simulation; Traffic speed

Traffic conditions

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2011 Paper #11-2048

TRIS, TRB

Feb 17 2011 6:02PM