01370943

Component

This paper analyzes the second best time-varying toll pattern design issue, with a focus on parameters such as the degree of toll variation between time intervals, the minimum toll fare and the gap with the peak period fare. The authors study the impact of those parameters on a study case for a two parallel route, an idealized two route alternative in the north-eastern region of Barcelona metropolitan area. A model that properly joins dynamic traffic assignment commercial software to a time-swapping algorithm that accounts for users’ departure-time choice is proposed, allowing the achievement of a departure-time steady-state assignment. The results show that toll pattern design has a more than fine tuning effect on optimal toll design problem. Some complex interactions between route and departure-time choices and the network characteristics have been pointed out. The minimum toll fare plays a dominant role over road authority objectives results when toll fare is near optimal, with a limited impact of tolling pattern, but it dramatically increases when deviating from that. If social welfare ought to be maximized minimum toll fare has to be limited to the feasibility build-operate-transfer threshold, while the difference between maximum and minimum fare could by far compensate the revenue lose under inelastic demand, allowing the opportunity to reinvestment.

01362476

12-4723

English

18p

2012

Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Case studies; Departure time; Dynamic traffic assignment; Periods of the day; Variable tolls; Welfare economics

Barcelona (Spain)

Economics; Finance; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2012 Paper #12-4723

TRIS, TRB

Feb 8 2012 5:26PM