The future now

In 2001, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, USA, introduced time-of-day pricing at all tunnels and bridges. The goal of the new toll structure and the Port Authority's Value Pricing Program was to generate revenue to support a US$2 billion per year capital investment programme for all of the Port Authority's transportation facilities. The policies aimed at reducing congestion by encouraging traffic shifts to off-peak travel periods, encouraging use of public transport, increasing the use of E-Zpass electronic toll collection, and creating traffic management incentives for freight to move outside peak periods where possible. The value pricing program has helped to manage congestion. The Federal Transit Administration is sponsoring a study to evaluate the feasibility of creating a second priority bus lane in the Lincoln Tunnel into New York. The Value Pricing Pilot Program is sponsoring a simultaneous assessment to consider how pricing could help manage all traffic in the Tunnel. The potential of high occupancy toll lanes is being studied.