Tolling and Pricing Program - Links to Tolling and Pricing Program Home

Synthesis of Congestion Pricing-Related Environmental Impact Analyses

Final Report

Contact Information: Operations Feedback at OperationsFeedback@dot.gov.

Printable Version [PDF 34KB]
To view the PDF files, you need the Adobe Reader.

Quality Assurance Statement

The U.S. Department of Transportation provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. U.S. DOT periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No.

FHWA-HOP-11-008

2. Government Accession No.


3. Recipient's Catalog No.


4. Title and Subtitle

Synthesis of Congestion Pricing-Related Environmental Impact Analyses - Final Report

5. Report Date

October 18 , 2010

6. Performing Organization Code

HOTO-1

7. Author(s)

Matt Burt and Garnell Sowell, Battelle; Jason Crawford and Todd Carlson, Texas Transportation Institute

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Battelle
505 King Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-06-D-00007 –
Task T10001

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590


13. Type of Report and Period Covered


14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HRT

15. Supplementary Notes

Gene McHale, COTM

16. Abstract

This report summarizes the state-of-the-practice and presents a recommended framework for before-after evaluations of the environmental impacts of congestion pricing projects, such as high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes and cordon or area pricing schemes. The report focuses on the three environmental impact areas that have been most commonly examined in such evaluations: air quality, noise, and environmental justice (sometimes referred to as equity). Since environmental impacts are a function of the travel impacts of congestion pricing projects, this report also examines state-of-the-practice regarding evaluation of travel impacts such as traffic, transit and travel behavior. The state-of-the-practice results are based primarily on a review of the published literature associated with eight congestion pricing study projects from around the world. A number of gaps in existing practice and understanding are identified and recommendations are provided to address those gaps.

17. Key Words

Congestion pricing, road user charges, environmental impacts

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public.

19. Security Classification (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classification (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

96

22. Price

N/A

Table of Contents

 

List of Appendices

List of Tables

List of Abbreviations

CARB California Air Resources Board
CO carbon monoxide
CO2 carbon dioxide
CRD Congestion Reduction Demonstration
CURACAO Coordination of Urban Road User Charging Organisational Issues.
DSRC dedicated short-range communication
EAs environmental assessments
EISs environmental impact statements
EMFAC EMission FACtors
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
GPS global positioning system
HOT high occupancy toll
HOV high-occupancy vehicle
I-15 Interstate-15
IM inspection and maintenance
MSATS mobile source air toxics
Mn/DOT Minnesota Department of Transportation
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
NOx nitrogen oxides
OBU on-board unit
PM2.5 fine particulate matter
PM10 particulate matter
ppm parts per million
PSRC Puget Sound Regional Council
RTMC Regional Transportation Management Center
SDSU San Diego State University
U.S. DOT United States Department of Transportation
UPA Urban Partnership Agreement
VMT vehicle miles traveled
VOCs volatile organic compounds