Final Proceedings of "Getting Started with Congestion Pricing: A Workshop for Local Partners"

Conclusion

Participants at each workshop were asked to complete the Workshop Evaluation Form before leaving. Complete results of the workshop evaluations are provided in Appendices C and D.

Both workshops were well received by the participants, with all aspects of the workshops receiving an overall rating of between four (“Agree”) and five (“Strongly Agree”) on a five-point scale. Participants were asked to rate the following statements:

• The workshop met my expectations.
• The workshop provided valuable information regarding congestion pricing.
• The information provided in the workshop will be helpful in my work.

When asked which session participants most enjoyed, the case studies/peer exchanges were the overwhelming favorites in both sessions, followed by the local applications discussion. Very few people had negative responses to offer when asked which session they liked the least. Most responses indicated that all the sessions were helpful. Some participants indicated that the implementation challenges were somewhat obvious. One participant in Connecticut suggested that the international projects session was least informative. This session was removed from the North Carolina session. In the North Carolina session, one participant indicated that more possible local applications would have been helpful, while another suggested that the session on first generation lane pricing could be cut if there was a need to add a session on another topic.

When asked what other topics participants would like to have covered, there were numerous suggestions, but the most often mentioned was a more in-depth look at the case studies and more time to examine local applications.

Connecticut participants were asked several additional questions regarding topics such as:

• Do you think additional outreach and education efforts would be beneficial to the state DOTs, regional agencies, legislators, etc.?
• Do you consider congestion pricing strategies to be a realistic approach to addressing transportation challenges in your state?
• What role do you think the federal government should assume in supporting state efforts to pursue congestion pricing strategies?

Responses to the first question were a unanimous “yes,” with some emphasizing the need for education at the local level, including the public. While most answers to the second question were positive, there were several caveats – respondents were not sure that the approach would be realistic for every project, or that the concept would be openly embraced. Most respondents thought the federal government could help most by allowing for flexibility in funding and local decision-making, as well as by providing guidance and technical and marketing assistance to the states.

The responses to the evaluation suggest that in both locations, this workshop successfully initiated a dialogue on the planning and implementing congestion pricing projects. Participants in both workshops indicated that they gained a better sense of the issues involved in pursuing congestion pricing projects and knowledge of possible alternatives for future projects. The case studies were particularly valuable to the participants, and the responses suggest that both case studies (successful and unsuccessful) and local applications should be given as much time as possible so that they can be explored in depth.