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

Composite Summary of the Workshop Sessions

Both workshops followed the same general agenda. Each session is summarized, below, with questions and comments from both workshops included. This overview is intended to highlight the topics discussed in light of the material presented, rather than document specific actions that the state DOT will pursue.

Workshop Objectives

At the Hartford workshop, attendees were welcomed to the workshop by a ConnDOT representative. In Charlotte, a representative from the City of Charlotte introduced the workshop. In both cities, representatives from FHWA also made welcoming remarks. The FHWA representatives then spoke about options and opportunities, including statewide oversight for transportation planning and Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs).

The sponsor objectives for the workshop included:

  • Providing local stakeholders with a better understanding of congestion pricing
  • Addressing the challenges that arise when proposing pricing strategies
  • Presenting real-life case studies from areas where congestion pricing projects have been, or are in the process of being, implemented
  • Fostering discussion of how congestion pricing could be applied locally.

Flipchart notes outlined the participant’s workshop objectives. These objectives included:

  • General information/applications
  • A better understanding of congestion pricing
  • How HOV to HOT conversion works
  • Applicability of pricing
  • Economic benefits of pricing
  • Enforcement on priced facilities
  • How tolling can finance megaprojects
  • Growing the basis of knowledge regarding pricing and funding
  • Navigating the NEPA process
  • Impacts of pricing on the funding of traditional programs
  • Understanding the legislative issues and legal implications
  • Creation of new revenue
  • How to make the existing system work better
  • More about what other states are doing
  • Pricing as a tool to keep up with growth
  • How managed lanes can be integrated into highway facilities
  • How modeling is working in other areas
  • How to address the general public’s perception on toll lanes and to increase public understanding
  • Operations issues, including long-term operational management
  • Longevity of investment
  • Air quality.

What is Congestion Pricing?

Session 2 was presented by FHWA representatives. An introduction to congestion pricing was provided, including how congestion pricing is defined, the various strategies, and examples of priced lane facilities around the country, including an overview of toll collection methods used. After providing this general overview, the representatives spoke about the reasons to consider congestion pricing, and the relevant federal policies and programs.

Questions and discussion followed. Topics covered included:

  • The use of toll booths on these facilities (toll booths are not used)
  • How public support was gained for SR 167 in Seattle
  • The use of revenues for transit under the interstate highway system reconstruction and rehabilitation program (revenue can be used if transit is integral to the operation of the facility)
  • The possibility of changes within the current programs as a result of reauthorization
  • The federal position regarding the pricing of existing lanes
  • The status of proposed/existing projects around the country that would toll existing lanes
  • The need for NEPA documentation on these projects
  • How fees are assessed in priced zones
  • FTA participation in the funding of projects
  • Public awareness and understanding of the goals and objectives of pricing
  • How electronic tolling can provide occupancy verification
  • Standardization of HOT lanes for ease of driver understanding
  • Standards for measures among projects
  • Classifications for tractor-trailer units (do they exist?)
  • The availability of dedicated federal funds for implementation.

Lane Pricing Examples from the U.S./Lane Pricing Project Activities

This session presentation consisted of an explanation of the characteristics of both first- and next-generation lane pricing. First generation facilities such as San Diego I-15 HOT Lanes, Orange County SR 91 Express Lanes, Houston U.S. 290 QuickRide, Minneapolis I-394 MnPASS Express, Denver I-25 HOV Express Lanes, Seattle SR 167 HOT Lanes, Utah I-15 Express Lanes and the Miami 95 Express were discussed. Next generation pricing facilities covered were the FasTrak I-15 Expansion, San Francisco Bay Area Express Lanes Network, Minneapolis I-35W MnPASS, Northern Virginia Capital Beltway HOT Lanes, and the Houston I-10 Katy Managed Lanes. The discussion covered topics such as:

  • Leveraging the use of existing regional tolling systems
    • Adopting switchable transponders
    • Join the existing CSC, back office
    • Toll tag penetration
    • Interoperability with multiple agencies and state
  • Operating cost
    • The cost is incremental over previous operating/maintenance costs
    • The cost includes transaction processing and enforcement
  • Conversion from HOV2+ to HOV3+
  • Trends related to pricing systems.

Participants had several questions regarding the 520 project in Seattle:

  • What was FHWA’s role?
  • What kind of information was presented to the public?
  • How long did the process take?

Questions of a more general nature were asked regarding:

  • How funding packages were assembled
  • How pricing has measurably impacted reliability on freeway lane capacity
  • Whether any second generation facilities were reversible
  • Whether or not motorcycles are free in all projects
  • The tolling scheme during peak period on the Katy Freeway.

Types of Pricing Applications

This session was held only in the Hartford workshop. The discussion centered on the international pricing applications featured in the 2009 International Scan. The presentation highlighted the three reasons the scan sites used congestion pricing: demand management, revenue generation, and a mix of both. Group discussion focused on the use of geo-positioning satellite (GPS) data versus dedicated short range communications (DSRC) as demonstrated in the German and Czech site visits, and the EZPass procurement.

Planning for Your Congestion Pricing Project: Six Implementation Challenges

An FHWA representative presented six implementation challenges that need to be considered when planning a congestion pricing project. The challenges to overcome are:

  • Political support and public acceptance
  • Funding and financing
  • Equity
  • Technology
  • Enforcement
  • Integration with the long-range planning process.

The resulting dialogue addressed the question of how single occupant vehicles (SOVs) fit into the discussion, as opposed to just making the lanes general-purpose lanes. The use of transit on the facilities was also addressed particularly with respect to evidence of increased transit ridership. Participants also discussed the availability of data on modal changes and income-based usage, and discussed the need for data on geographic equity. It was suggested that having multiple partners may be a challenge to project development and implementation.

Questions were also raised regarding the responsibilities of the toll agency:

  • Is it the agency’s responsibility to provide the infrastructure to help people navigate the system, but also to promote less SOV usage?
  • Are the agencies promoting:
    • Fewer vehicles?
    • Higher occupancy?
    • Slugging (casual carpooling)?
  • Transit authorities can encourage less SOV usage.

Case Studies in Lane Pricing

Two peer experts provided case studies at each workshop, which initiated informal peer exchange that continued through the remainder of the workshops. It was stressed that regional policies are critical for developing projects such as these. Presentations discussed:

  • Regional toll/managed lane policies
  • The importance of a public communication plan, including using the media, public hearings and outreach materials provided directly to users, as well as training employees on how to provide customer information
  • The traffic management benefits over time
  • The evolution of electronic toll technology
  • A closer examination of the planning process, for managed lanes delivered through public-private partnership
  • Equity issues
  • Enforcement issues
  • Carpooling support
  • Transit technologies
  • Dependability of transit trip times
  • HOV registration.

Planning for Your Congestion Pricing Project: Peer Exchange

This session was a continuation of the peer exchange regarding the six challenges, with participation by the peer experts.

Participants asked each peer expert questions on a variety of topics:

  • How each project’s pricing task force or public advisory group came about and functioned
  • How metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) were involved in the projects
  • The NEPA process related to priced lane projects
  • What the revenue generation expectations are
  • How enforcement is handled
  • How registered carpool vehicles are handled if owners want to use them as SOVs
  • How to explain the need to go from HOV2+ to HOV3+
  • Use of ramp meters
  • What happens when operations on HOT lanes break down
  • Did MnDOT compare travel times on the general-purpose lanes to those on the managed lanes.

Local Application

A discussion of how the information provided during the workshop could be applied locally was led by representatives of local agencies. Several key questions to consider were outlined:

  • What is possible?
  • What is permissible under federal law?
  • What makes sense?
  • What might be the next steps?
  • Are there opportunities under federal programs that might help?

Questions for the peer experts focused on the transit plan, including commuter rail, and whether HOV2+ was considered for the facilities cited. At each workshop, local authorities used potential projects as the focus for discussion. Two projects discussed in Connecticut, the “Aetna Viaduct” in Hartford, and the I-95 corridor west of New Haven, eventually received funding from the FHWA’s Value Pricing Pilot Program. The viaduct project is an example of All-Electronic Tolling (AET) spot tolling, which allows for major high cost replacement projects in isolated locations. The I-95 West corridor is Connecticut’s most congested corridor, with almost the entire 46 mile section expected to be at or over capacity by 2030.