TABULAR OR GRAPHIC MATERIAL SET FORTH AT THIS POINT IS NOT DISPLAYABLE
Although the results depicted in Figure 1 may be idealized, the principles represented are sound - charging road users
a congestion fee would make commuters aware of the external costs associated with making a trip and thereby cause
drivers to base their decisions on more accurate knowledge of the costs of their actions. Simply put, congestion pricing
seeks to assess vehicles for the costs they impose on society, which may include time costs, external congestion costs, and
other variable costs (e.g. environmental or governmental costs). Ideally, congestion charges would vary based on each
vehicle's responsibility in creating congestion. This can be done in two ways; (1) basing fees on the time of day (higher
charges for peak hours and lower charges for off-peak hours) or (2) basing fees directly on the level of congestion on a
given roadway. Airlines, train travel, and other modes of transportation have used similar pricing schemes for several
decades to shift demand to off-peak periods. Only roads have by tradition been “free” and failed to take into account
the effects of peak period usage. Several different impacts of road pricing may affect automobile congestion: its affect on
(1) the number of trips, (2) total miles traveled, (3) the length of trips, (4) traffic speeds, (5) the routes taken by travelers,
(6) the times at which trips are taken, (7) the amount of carpooling and public transportation used, and (8) smoother
traffic flow.