Technologies That Complement Congestion Pricing—A Primer

Approach to Facilitate Retrofitting

Congested facilities can support the retrofitted through the practical application of technology. The challenge for an agency is to develop a concept of operations to prepare travelers for the transition. In 1964, Reuben Smeed led the development of a study for the British government to consider viable approaches toward establishing congestion pricing. The “Smeed Report” identified the following as operational requirements:⁸

• Pricing should be related to the amount of use made of the roads.
• Costs should vary according to location, time, and type of vehicle.
• Costs should be stable and known in advance.
• Payment in advance of travel should be possible.

Complementary technologies aid the traveler in comprehending and becoming acclimated to the cost for travel on a facility or into an area. The fact that the charges vary according to the volume of travel establishes a unique challenge, that is, correctly conveying the cost for a particular trip and conveying it so that a decision can be made to delay travel, modify the time of travel, or adopt a different mode of travel. This needs to be coupled with information regarding the reliability of the travel, including identification of any impedance that may present an unexpected delay.

I-95 Express Experience

As part of the Urban Partnership Agreement between U.S. DOT and Florida DOT, the leftmost travel lanes of I-95 in South Florida will be converted to HOT lanes. In preparation for establishing this capability on the existing infrastructure, Florida DOT is applying a suite of complementary technologies to provide positive guidance for their customers. Florida DOT, itself, expresses confidence that with the improved driver information and with increasing familiarity of the public, the HOT lanes will operate smoothly.

The goal of the I-95 Express effort will be to maintain a high travel speed during peak travel periods by encouraging carpooling of three or more passengers and establishing a direct I-95 bus rapid transit service between Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Passenger cars with less than three occupants will be charged variable tolls throughout the day for use of the express lanes. In addition, trucks will be prohibited from the express lanes at all times.

The implementation of I-95 Express draws on traveler information, ramp metering, and DMSs to attain success. DMSs will be positioned at regular intervals to indicate the variable toll from the entry point on the express lanes to key downstream express lane exits.

I-35W Experience

As part of the Urban Partnership Agreement between U.S. DOT and Minnesota DOT, the existing HOV lanes along I-35 will be converted to HOT lanes, and priced dynamic shoulder lanes will be established on one segment, offering a temporary travel lane during peak periods.

Minnesota’s goals for increasing transit ridership on express transit routes, increased use of park and ride facilities, and overall improved transit and traffic mobility depend on DMSs and various traveler information outlets. Minnesota seeks to provide active information about the status of bus arrivals and parking space availability in order to encourage travelers to switch to the lower cost-transit alternatives. Minnesota will be monitoring the demand of the I-35W HOT lanes and priced dynamic shoulder lanes, along with the capacity of the park and ride lots, to determine appropriate congestion charges.

To increase user satisfaction, Minnesota will provide customers with comparative travel times for car and bus. This combined congestion and travel-time information will allow travelers to make informed decisions about the mode choice that they select. Along the arterials that run parallel to or intersect with I-35W, Minnesota will be providing transit signal priority to improve transit reliability, improve transit travel times, and improve transit user satisfaction.