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US DOT Congestion Initiative Urban Partnership Agreements

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Slide 1

US DOT Congestion Initiative Urban Partnership Agreements

I-95 Corridor Coalition EPS Summit
September 19, 2007
Boston, Massachusetts

Jeffrey F. Paniati
Associate Administrator, Office of Operations
Federal Highway Administration

Slide 2

Solving the Congestion Problem

  • Shape Demand
  • Invest in New Capacity
  • Operate System at Peak Performance
  • Bring Supply and Demand into Alignment -- Congestion Pricing

Slide 3

Congestion Pricing - Bringing Supply and Demand into Alignment

  • Failure to properly price travel on highways is a root cause of congestion.
    • The price of highway travel (gas taxes, registration fees, etc.) bears little or no relationship to the cost of congestion.
    • Unlike other public utilities, the public expectation is that the "service" is free or does not change with changes in demand.
  • Rationing transportation services via pricing is more efficient than rationing by delay.

Slide 4

Congestion Pricing - The Options

A chart displaying congestion pricing - options: HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing); Cordon or Area Pricing; Region - Wide Charges

Slide 5

Congestion Pricing of Excess HOV Facility Capacity (HOT Lanes)

Fees for SOV use vary based on traffic levels I-394 MnPass Express lanes in Minneapolis (dynamic pricing, real-time), I-15 FasTrak Lanes in San Diego (quasi-dynamic, every 6 minutes), and I-25 Express Lanes in Denver (variable pricing) all using electronic transponders.

QuickRide in Houston, TX, on the Katy Freeway - HOV-3 free; HOV-2 is $2 per trip using electronic transponder.

An image of MnPass Logo.An image of Interstate 15 (I-15) Shiled.An image of I-25 Eexpress Lanes.An image of QR QuickRide logo.

Slide 6

HOV and HOT Lanes in the U.S.

Image of a United States Map displaying HOV and HOT Lanes Locations.

Slide 7

Urban Partnership Agreements - Congestion Pricing

  • Congestion Pricing is a key component of the USDOT Congestion Initiative (Relieve Urban Congestion element) - Urban Partnerships.
  • Integrated "4T" Strategy .
    • TOLLING (pricing) - Key Element
      • Direct user charge based on use of facility; varies based on level of congestion
      • Toll collection via electronic means (no booths)
    • Transit
    • Telecommuting/Travel Demand Management
    • Technology
  • About $850 million in USDOT Discretionary Funds.

Slide 8

Urban Partners

An image of the United States Map displaying Urban Partners: Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis - St. Paul, New York City, and Miami

Slide 9

Congestion Pricing - The Progress

A chart displaying congestion pricing - options: HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity) and Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New) highlighted with Minneapolis - St. Paul and Miami; Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing); Cordon or Area Pricing; Region - Wide Charges

Slide 10

Minneapolis - St. Paul Urban Partner

  • I-35W between downtown Minneapolis and the southern suburbs.
    • Existing HOV lanes converted to dynamically-priced HOT lanes (similar to existing MnPASS operation).
    • Existing HOT lanes extended.
    • Shoulder lanes dynamically priced.

Slide 11

Miami Urban Partner

  • 21 miles of HOT lanes on I-95 from Fort Lauderdale to downtown Miami.
  • Raise HOV limit from HOV2 to HOV3+.
  • Expand 10-lane highway to 12 lanes (by reducing the width of the existing lanes from 12 to 11 feet and using a portion of the shoulder).

Slide 12

Congestion Pricing - The Progress

A chart displaying congestion pricing - options: HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing) highlighted with Seatlle and San Francisco; Cordon or Area Pricing; Region - Wide Charges

Slide 13

Seattle Urban Partner

  • Variable pricing on the State Route 520 floating bridge.
    • King County crossing that currently carries about 160,000 people per day between Seattle and its Eastside suburbs.
    • Tolls on the existing bridge are intended to help pay for the new bridge.

Slide 14

San Francisco Urban Partner

  • Variable pricing on Doyle Drive, the 1.5 mile elevated roadway leading to the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Will charge an extra 1-way-fee above the $5 toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • Revenues will help pay to reconstruct the 70-year old Doyle Drive.
  • Creation of Integrated Mobility Accounts.
  • Variable pricing of on/off-street parking and city-owned garage spaces in downtown San Francisco.

Slide 15

Congestion Pricing - The Progress

A chart displaying congestion pricing - options: HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing); Cordon or Area Pricing highlighted with New York City; Region - Wide Charges

Slide 16

New York City Urban Partner

  • Will charge drivers $8 and trucks $21 a day to enter or leave Manhattan below 86th Street on weekdays during the workday.
  • Those who drive only within the congestion zone would pay $4 a day for cars, $5.50 for trucks.

Slide 17

Congestion Pricing - The Progress

A chart displaying congestion pricing - options: HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New); Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing); Cordon or Area Pricing; Region - Wide Charges highlighted

Slide 18

Congestion Pricing - Region Wide Charges

  • Current Examples
    • Studies in Oregon and Seattle have tested mileage-based fees and peak-period driving charges.
    • Nationwide Truck Pricing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland - Automated weight-distance truck tolls across their national highways (Note: Sets the stage for area-wide congestion pricing).

Slide 19

USDOT/FHWA Next Steps

  • Promote HOV to HOT Conversions through Tailored Technical Assistance.
  • Urban Partners.
    • Provide Direct Support to the Urban Partners.
    • Harness and Share Experiences.
  • Provide General Resource Material - Tailored Workshops and Seminars; Reference Material.
    • Value Pricing Pilot Program Lessons Learned.
    • Model Pricing Legislation.
    • "Making the Case" Outreach and Technical Support.

Slide 20

For More Information

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