Session 12 -- Innovations in Funding: Case studies of congestion pricing and variable pricing tolls

Moderator, Ms. Marsha Johnson, Director, Office of Financial Development, Florida Department of Transportation
Ms. Alice Bravo, Director of Transportation Systems Development, Florida Department of Transportation -- Presentation
Mr. Matthew Click, Intergovernmental Programs Coordinator, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
Mr. Edward J. Regan, III, Senior Vice President, Wilbur Smith Associates

Congestion pricing - sometimes called value pricing - is a way of harnessing the power of the market thru tolling to reduce traffic congestion. In concept, congestion pricing works by charging a varying toll rate to control demand and guarantee a roadway’s level of service. By removing or redistributing a small fraction of vehicles out of the peak hours, pricing enables the roadway to operate efficiently. There is a consensus among economists that congestion pricing represents the single most viable and sustainable approach to reducing traffic congestion. There is also the added benefit of advancing innovative transit solutions in shared right-of-way conditions with the use of congestion pricing.

Alice Bravo discussed FHWA’s new Urban Partnership Agreements. FHWA will be selecting several transportation projects that emphasize the 4T’s. The first T is tolling; the second is transit; the third is technology; and the fourth is telecommuting. She showed a video for the I-95 Express Lanes project, which is a candidate project for an Urban Partnership Agreement. The project involves the conversion of existing carpool lanes into two managed lanes in each direction. Buses and 3+ carpools will be able to use the lanes for free. Single occupant vehicles will be able to access the lanes by paying a toll using SunPass.

Edward J. Regan discussed the observed traffic conditions on I-95 (traffic counts, travel speeds, occupancy counts) and the proposed project configurations. He then discussed the results of public opinion surveys that were done in San Diego for their I-15 Value Pricing project. This is a former carpool lane that had excess capacity and was converted into a dynamically priced high occupancy toll (HOT) lane. There are plans underway to expand the current 8-mile facility into a 20-mile facility with a moveable barrier and bus rapid transit. The surveys showed large support for the I-15 Express Lanes across all demographics. The surveys showed that the perception that they were Lexus Lanes was a myth.

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