Transportation Pricing Strategies For California

Los Angeles has the worst traffic congestion in the country. Excessive traffic congestion detracts from quality of life, is economically wasteful and environmentally damaging, and exacerbates social-justice concerns. The authors of this book recommend strategies for reducing congestion in Los Angeles County that could be implemented and produce significant improvements within about five years.

The objective of this research project was to conduct research on the merits, costs and application potential of various transportation pricing approaches, to better inform decision makers and the public about transportation financing/pricing option in California. The research emphasis will be on processes and techniques by which pricing can be made acceptable to public officials and lay citizens in California. Through rigorous analysis and the development of accessible resource materials, this work will support better public policymaking in California related to transportation finance, congestion management, and transportation pricing. The concept of "congestion pricing" has been the subject of lively intellectual debates in the field of transportation since 1920. Economic theory suggests that variable tolls can influence travel decisions so that roads are more efficiently utilized. While economists have vigorously promoted congestion tolls for years, wary politicians and interest groups, including automobile clubs and trucking associations, have usually coolly received congestion-pricing proposals. The situation has changed rapidly during the past decade, however, and roadway pricing is now seen by an increasing number of stakeholders as an important dimension of future transportation policy. There are several reasons for the recent shift in attitudes, including changes in circumstances facing transportation decision makers and fundamental changes in the nature of pricing proposals themselves.