Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
19.3.2 Overview of Applications
Congestion pricing applications are found in large urban areas
both within and
outside the United States. They generally consist of three types of application:
—
—
(1) Variably priced Managed Lanes
these projects consist of cases where High
Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are converted into High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOT) lanes that allow low- occupancy passenger cars by charging a variable
cost that guarantees uncongested flow, while permitting HOVs to use the lane
free of charge; or the construction of new HOT lanes.
(2) Variably priced toll facilities (Tunnels, bridges, single roadways)
—
this pricing
creates conditions that maintain desirable traf
c speeds. In these cases higher
pricing is used to reduce traf
c volume during peak hours and lower tolls are
charged in off peak periods.
(3) Area or Cordon Pricing for traf
c entering congested city centers during peak
hours to reduce vehicle traf
c demand during the congested periods.
An overview of the most important applications follows:
19.3.2.1 United States
Variable pricing and toll facilities projects in operation or being developed are
shown in Table
19.2
. Most US and Canadian projects are either variable priced
lanes or toll facilities. Another set of variable priced facilities consist of HOT lanes
converted from HOV lanes.
Table
19.3
gives the operational characteristics of HOV lanes both before and
after conversion to HOT lanes. In a few cases, roadways were widened as part of
the conversion. It should be noted that in all of these conversions trucks are not
allowed. HOT lanes are usually dynamically priced.
Cordon area application of congestion pricing does not yet exist in the United
States. Lacking an actual experience of cordon/area pricing in the US, the issue is
the subject of constant debate. Some researchers claim that
In many US cities
cordon or area pricing could have the undesirable effect of reducing economic
activity in the central city and thereby increasing overall VMT as development
moves elsewhere
“
. With the current state of knowledge it is impossible to make
any broad generalizations about the effectiveness of this strategy
…
[
7
].
The US experience with cordon pricing has been limited to a study that modeled
the impact of an $8 cordon charge (7 a.m.
”
7 p.m.) applied to the Manhattan Central
Business District. The cordon pricing study calculated a potential 7 % reduction in
vehicles entries. The plan, however, could not be implemented because it lacked
State approval.
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