Value Pricing Pilot Program Projects Involving Tolls
Projects involving tolls include charges for road use that vary by demand. Charges may vary on a pre-scheduled basis, e.g., by time of day, or dynamically in response to real time changes in demand. Whereas toll rates on conventional toll facilities are set primarily to achieve certain revenue targets for financing of the facilities, congestion-priced toll rates are set to achieve specific targets of reductions in demand or to maintain specific levels of performance on the priced facility, e.g., a target speed range, or a target "optimum" volume to capacity ratio. Congestion pricing projects involving tolls may be categorized according to their extent of application, as follows:
- HOT Lanes: Allow vehicles not meeting established occupancy requirements for an HOV lane to "buy-into" the lane by paying a toll.
- Express Toll Lanes: Pricing of new and/or existing highway lanes, generally in conjunction with highway expansion.
- Pricing on Entire Roadway Facilities: Pricing is applied on all lanes of a roadway facility.
- Zone-Based/Cordon/Area Pricing: Pricing is applied within a limited zone involving several roadway facilities.
- Systemwide Pricing: Pricing is applied within an entire metropolitan region, state, or country.
