Road pricing for congestion management: A survey of international practice

This synthesis will be of interest to transportation agency administrators and managers, state and regional transportation planners, metropolitan planning organizations, policy makers, transportation economists, traffic engineers, and others concerned with reducing traffic congestion in urban areas. 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 discussions 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. The case examples describe the congestion management schemes in Singapore, Hong Kong, Norway, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. This report of the Transportation Research Board also describes the various congestion pricing schemes implemented or proposed that rely on automated or electronic vehicle use charges. The case examples include ring roads, corridors, restricted areas or zones, and areawide applications. The opportunities and cautions for implementing similar congestion pricing measures in the United States are also discussed.