MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION VALUE PRICING STUDY: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Maryland Department of Transportation, through the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Value Pricing Pilot Program, is conducting a one-year value pricing study that will consider a full range of value pricing strategies, including High Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lanes, where lower-occupancy vehicles pay a toll to use High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. The FHWA is providing funds to support the development, operation, and evaluation of innovative road and parking pricing pilot projects. The program's intent is to demonstrate and evaluate road and parking pricing concepts that could help address highway congestion. Phase I of Maryland's two-phase study included an investigation of the localities that have implemented or studied value pricing programs, both nationally and internationally, and preliminary screening to eliminate value pricing strategies based on established criteria. Results of Phase I activities are described in this paper. The value pricing strategies carried forward from Phase I have been combined into alternatives in the form of design concepts and pricing scenarios for further, more detailed evaluation in Phase II. Each of ten study locations was evaluated with respect to the criteria developed in Phase I. A list of more specific measures of effectiveness (MOEs) was developed for Phase II analysis. The scenarios under study in Phase II are described in this paper, along with possible next steps in Maryland's study.