Road User Charging And Electronic Toll Collection

"Serving as a road map to today's technologies, systems, regulatory issues, and pricing schemes for electronic toll collection and road user charging, this authoritative book helps professionals cut through the maze of available solutions and design options, so they can match the right technology to their policy needs."--BOOK JACKET.

Of the many direct and indirect methods for road use, the key alternatives for reducing road congestion are (1) cordon pricing using manual tollbooths, (2) supplementary vehicle licensing, (3) automatic vehicle identification, and (4) smart card technology.

Road pricing (tolls, etc.) as a means of generating revenue for infrastructure investment has become a major policy option in both Europe and North America. It can also be used as a policy in the management of traffic demand and flow, environmental objectives, and optimal resource allocation as regards the size of investments. Road pricing is assumed to be able to solve many problems simultaneously -- congestion control, pollution reduction, and investment financing. This volume assembles and assesses theoretical knowledge, empirical results and experiences of actual road pricing. In addition, the impact of new information technology on future policy formulation is considered.

This book describes the theory and practice of congestion charging using advanced electronic systems. The general principles and potential benefits are presented and a framework for good practice established. The financial, institutional, technological and social issues that must be addressed are outlined and a comparitive assessment and review of current and pilot projects in Europe and South-East Asia are given. Since the first edition was published, there have been significant developments in road pricing practice. This edition of Road Pricing has been widely revised, updating the case studies and expanding coverage to include the latest developments in the UK, Europe and the USA, providing further essential up-to-date iformation in current theory and practice in congestion charging for policy-makers and practitioners.

"This volume explores transportation technologies that enable congestion pricing. This document contains the following: the functional processes for tolling and congestion pricing; what technologies there are to consider; how the technologies are applied; examples of how technologies have been applied; what technologies may make it work better in the future"--p. 2.

"The synthesis describes the experience of several foreign countries that have used road pricing, or congestion pricing, as a means to manage congestion. The synthesis contains dicussions of the policy, equity, and implementation issues associated with congestion pricing. Several of the schemes described were planned or implemented as methods to increase roadway funding rather than for congestion management, but have had the effect of changing travel patterns."--Avant-propos.

Road pricing is increasingly being implemented around the world to combat congestion, curb carbon and other polluting emissions, compensate for falling revenues from fuel duty, improve the efficiency of the existing transport infrastructure, and fund new transport projects. This book outlines some of the economic theory behind these schemes.

This document is intended to serve as a guide for state and local planners and policy makers who are evaluating the potential of congestion pricing. Its purpose is to introduce the concept of congestion pricing and to provide a discussion of its feasibility and potential in specific applications. The report also provides guidance on monitoring and evaluation of congestion pricing, and contains an extensive bibliography. A pilot program is discussed, some overseas and national programs are described, and congestion pricing options are considered. Planning issues are addressed, and specific methods geared to reduce congestion are noted.