There are three types of congestion pricing schemes. First, there is facility pricing, which charges fees for use of a bridge,
tunnel, or small segment of road. Second, there is road pricing, which assesses a fee along a specific roadway (usually a
road connecting two more densely populated areas). Lastly, there is cordon pricing, which establishes a series of *94
congestion toll collection stations in a ring around a congested area (usually a city). 55 Commuters are charged a fee as
they enter the area. One variation to road-style pricing which has become popular in the United States is to modify high
occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Instead of building a new roadway that is subject to congestion pricing or to convert
an existing freeway, several states have opened HOV lanes on congested roadways to paying commuters. This allows
single drivers to buy their *95 way onto less-congested HOV lanes traditionally reserved for carpooling. Such a pricing
system decreases congestion along crowded highways by spreading traffic more evenly among available lanes.