Implementing Congestion Pricing on Metropolitan Highway Networks with Self-Financing Public-Private Partnerships

This paper presents a new public-private partnership model for road pricing applications either at the facility level or on a region-wide highway network. The model addresses issues of monopoly power and efficiency of delivery of transportation services. The paper also addresses issues relating to financial self-sufficiency of integrated multimodal pricing strategies and assesses the financial self-sufficiency of an ambitious region-wide pricing concept that integrates multimodal mobility choices

Implementing Congestion Pricing on Metropolitan Highway Networks with Self-Financing Public- Private Partnerships

This paper presents a new public-private partnership model for road pricing applications either at the facility level or on a region-wide highway network. The model addresses issues of monopoly power and efficiency of delivery of transportation services. The paper also addresses issues relating to financial self-sufficiency of integrated multimodal pricing strategies and assesses the financial self-sufficiency of an ambitious region-wide pricing concept that integrates multimodal mobility choices

Managing Limited Access Highways for High Performance: Costs, Benefits, and Revenues

Managed lanes are a set of lanes where highway operations strategies are actively applied in response to changing conditions. High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) and Express Toll lanes are examples of managed lanes. The transportation operations concept discussed in this article involves conversion of existing freeways (all lanes) into premiumservice free-flowing highways that provide fast, frequent, and inexpensive express bus service and charge all private vehicles a variable toll—except for authorized buses and certified ridesharing vehicles. The toll would vary by level of demand and would be set high enough to guarantee that excessive demand will not cause a breakdown of traffic flow. This article discusses the advantages of this concept. It introduces a new sketch-planning tool that provides estimates of costs, benefits, and revenues from applying the concept on a highway network in a prototypical large metropolitan area. The estimates suggest that implementing the concept can provide significant net social benefits. It may also generate sufficient new toll revenue to pay for all costs for implementation and operation, including new express bus and park-and-ride services that would complement the pricing scheme

New Active Traffic Management Approach for Metropolitan Freeway Networks

A new active traffic management approach that could be implemented in the near term is illustrated for two of the most congested U.S. metropolitan areas using a sketch-planning tool. The approach involves converting existing freeways into premium service, free-flowing highways that provide fast, frequent, and inexpensive express bus service, while charging all private vehicles a variable toll, except for authorized buses and certified ridesharing vehicles. Public concerns about having a free travel choice are addressed by creating a toll-free bypass lane in advance of toll gantries placed across the freeway where those not wanting to pay for premium congestion-free services may wait in a queue. The monetary value of the wait time in the queue would be in equilibrium with the toll rate in effect. The toll would vary by level of demand and would be set high enough to guarantee that excessive demand would not cause a breakdown of traffic flow. Implementing the concept in Los Angeles, California, could reduce peak-period congestion delay by up to 33 h per traveler annually and save each traveler up to 83 gal of fuel annually. New toll revenues would be more than adequate to pay for all highway, transit, and park-and-ride costs and would generate significant surpluses

A New Public-Private Partnership Model for Road Pricing Implementation

In a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement providing for financing of highway investment and operations, it will be important to ensure that the public does not perceive that the private sector partner is attempting to maximize profits through excessive peak charges while the public agency does nothing to relieve congestion on free facilities. This paper presents a new PPP model to address this issue, discusses the benefits to be gained from such models, and suggests potential “corridor level” pilot demonstration projects. The paper then assesses the financial self-sufficiency of a region-wide application of the concepts without reliance on public tax support for implementation

Creating a Financially Feasible High-Performance Metropolitan Transportation System

This paper assesses a strategy to alleviate recurring congestion on metropolitan highway systems by adding "dynamic" capacity during peak periods, using shoulders as travel lanes, along with variable peak-period user charges levied on all lanes, to manage demand and pay for the capacity improvements and complementary multimodal investments. It presents an analysis of the traffic, delay, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, and cost and revenue impacts. The paper then discusses various technical and public acceptance issues with regard to the concept, and how these issues might be addressed

EVALUATION OF TOLL OPTIONS WITH QUICK-RESPONSE ANALYSIS TOOLS: CASE STUDY OF THE CAPITAL BELTWAY

Analysis tools in current use in transportation decision-making processes are not well suited for evaluating toll highway alternatives against more traditional free highway alternatives. How existing analysis tools might be used in evaluating toll options was examined. A case study demonstrates that relatively simple analytical procedures may be used to estimate the impact of pricing alternatives and to generate information for use by local decision makers. The case study also demonstrates that pricing alternatives often can accomplish the purpose of a major highway project more efficiently and more effectively than conventional alternatives that exclude pricing, while generating revenue to support bonds for project construction or to fund improved transit and paratransit services. With toll revenue to back bonds, project delays due to constrained funding can be avoided, and the public can be provided with superior mobility earlier and at lower public cost

New Road Financing System for U.S. Metropolitan Areas

This paper discusses a broad congestion pricing approach that could replace federal and state fuel taxes and possibly other taxes used to finance transportation needs in congested metropolitan areas. The approach may be implemented in the near term because technologies needed to implement it are already deployed extensively. The approach involves converting existing freeways (all lanes) into premium-service, free-flowing highways that provide fast, frequent, and inexpensive express bus service, while charging all vehicles a variable toll—except authorized buses and certified vanpool vehicles. The toll would vary by level of demand and would be set high enough to guarantee that excessive demand will not cause a breakdown of traffic flow. Sketch-planning analysis for the five most congested U.S. metropolitan areas suggests that implementing the concept could provide sufficient revenue to replace the fuel tax and potentially other transportation taxes, while providing large economic benefits. Public acceptance would be a major hurdle but could be achieved with careful system design along with a major public education and outreach campaign