US DOT Congestion Initiative Urban Partnership Agreements

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US DOT Congestion Initiative Urban Partnership
Agreements

• NTOC Summer Meeting
• September 7, 2007
• Washington, DC

Jeffrey F. PaniatiAssociate Administrator,
Office of OperationsFederal Highway
Administration
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Solving the Congestion Problem

• Shape Demand
• Invest in New Capacity
• Operate System at Peak Performance
• Bring Supply and Demand into Alignment --
  Congestion Pricing

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Congestion Pricing Bringing Supply and Demand
into Alignment

• Failure to properly price travel on highways is a
  root cause of congestion.
• The price of highway travel (gas taxes,
  registration fees, etc.) bears little or no
  relationship to the cost of congestion.
• Unlike other public utilities, the public
  expectation is that the service is free or does
  not change with changes in demand.
• Rationing transportation services via pricing is
  more efficient than rationing by delay.

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Congestion Pricing - The Options
HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing)
Cordon or Area Pricing
Region - Wide Charges
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Congestion Pricing of Excess HOV Facility
Capacity (HOT Lanes)
Fees for SOV use vary based on traffic levels -
I-394 MnPass Express lanes in Minneapolis
(dynamic pricing, real-time), I-15 FasTrack
Lanes in San Diego (quasi-dynamic, every 6
minutes), and I-25 Express Lanes in Denver
(variable pricing) all using electronic
transponders.
QuickRide in Houston, TX, on the Katy Freeway -
HOV-3 free HOV-2 is 2 per trip using electronic
transponder.
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HOV and HOT Lanes in the U.S.
Source Texas Transportation Institute
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USDOTs Congestion Initiative A Six-Point Plan

• Relieve Urban Congestion.
• Unleash private sector investment resources.
• Promote operational and technological
  improvements.
• Establish a Corridors of the Future
  competition.
• Target major freight bottlenecks and expand
  freight policy outreach.
• Accelerate major aviation capacity projects and
  provide a future funding framework.

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Urban Partnership Agreements Congestion Pricing

• Congestion Pricing is a key component of the
  USDOT Congestion Initiative (Relieve Urban
  Congestion element) - Urban Partnerships.
• Integrated 4T Strategy .
• TOLLING (pricing) Key Element
• Direct user charge based on use of facility
  varies based on level of congestion
• Toll collection via electronic means (no booths)
• Transit
• Telecommuting/Travel Demand Management
• Technology
• About 850 million in USDOT Discretionary Funds.

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Preliminary Urban Partners
Seattle
Minneapolis -St. Paul
New York City
San Francisco
Miami
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Congestion Pricing - The Progress
HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing)
Cordon or Area Pricing
Region - Wide Charges
Minneapolis St. Paul
Miami
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Minneapolis St. Paul Urban Partner

• The Big T (Tolling/Pricing)
• I-35W between downtown Minneapolis and the
  southern suburbs.
• Existing HOV lanes converted to
  dynamically-priced HOT lanes (similar to existing
  MnPASS operation).
• Existing HOT lanes extended.
• Shoulder lanes dynamically priced.

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Minneapolis - St. Paul Urban Partner

• Technology
• Electronic toll collection
• ITS Technology to improve transit services
• Arterial and freeway management

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Minneapolis - St. Paul Urban Partner

• Transit
• Establish a Bus Rapid Transit lane into downtown
  Minneapolis.
• Advanced BRT stations and park and ride
  facilities for the North metro suburbs along the
  I-35W corridor.
• Transit advantage bypass lane/ramp.
• Contra-flow transit lanes in downtown Minneapolis.

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Miami Urban Partner

• The Big T (Tolling/Pricing)
• 21 miles of HOT lanes on I-95 from Fort
  Lauderdale to downtown Miami.
• Raise HOV limit from HOV2 to HOV3.
• Expand 10-lane highway to 12 lanes (by reducing
  the width of the existing lanes from 12 to 11
  feet and using a portion of the shoulder).

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Miami Urban Partner

• Technology
• SunPass electronic toll collection.
• Transit
• Operate BRT on HOT lanes.
• Transit facility improvements.
• Telecommuting
• Flex-time incentives.
• Carpooling and vanpooling
  programs.

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Congestion Pricing - The Progress
HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing)
Cordon or Area Pricing
Region - Wide Charges
Minneapolis St. Paul
Seattle
Miami
San Francisco
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Seattle Urban Partner

• The Big T (Tolling/Pricing)
• Variable pricing on the State Route 520 floating
  bridge.
• King County crossing that currently carries about
  160,000 people per day between Seattle and its
  Eastside suburbs.
• Tolls on the existing bridge are intended to help
  pay for the new bridge.

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Seattle Urban Partner

• Technology
• Electronic toll collection
• Real-time multi-modal traveler information
• Active traffic management
• Transit
• Enhance bus service and provide
  supporting amenities
• Regional ferry service
• Telecommuting
• Carpooling and vanpooling programs
• Telecommuting outreach

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San Francisco Urban Partner

• The Big T (Tolling/Pricing)
• Variable pricing on Doyle Drive, the 1.5 mile
  elevated roadway leading to the Golden Gate
  Bridge.
• Will charge an extra one-way-fee above the 5
  toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Revenues will help pay to reconstruct the 70-year
  old Doyle Drive.

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San Francisco Urban Partner

• Technology
• Electronic toll collection.
• SFgo Arterial Traffic Management System/Traffic
  Controller Upgrades.
• 511 Upgrades.
• Creation of Integrated Mobility Accounts.
• Dynamic message signs indicating current toll
  rates.

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San Francisco Urban Partner

• Transit
• Improvements to Regional Ferry Service.
• Improved Bus Service, including Bus Rapid
  Transit.
• Telecommuting
• Variable pricing of on/off-street parking and
  city-owned garage spaces in downtown San
  Francisco.
• Telecommuting outreach.

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Congestion Pricing - The Progress
HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing)
Cordon or Area Pricing
Region - Wide Charges
Minneapolis St. Paul
Seattle
Miami
San Francisco
New York City
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New York City Urban Partner

• The Big T (Tolling/Pricing)
• Will charge drivers 8 and trucks 21 a day to
  enter or leave Manhattan below 86th Street on
  weekdays during the workday.
• Those who drive only within the congestion zone
  would pay 4 a day for cars, 5.50 for trucks.

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New York City Urban Partner

• Technology
• Electronic toll collection.
• Transit
• Bus facilities and other improvements.
• Initiation of Bus Rapid Transit.
• Regional ferry services.

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Congestion Pricing - The Progress
HOV to HOT Conversion (Use Excess Capacity)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (New)
Variably or Dynamically Priced Lanes (Existing)
Cordon or Area Pricing
Region - Wide Charges
Minneapolis St. Paul
Seattle
Miami
San Francisco
New York City
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Congestion Pricing Region Wide Charges

• Current Examples
• Studies in Oregon and Seattle have tested
  mileage-based fees and peak-period driving
  charges.
• Nationwide Truck Pricing in Germany, Austria and
  Switzerland Automated weight-distance
  truck tolls across their national highways (Note
  Sets the stage for area-wide congestion pricing).

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USDOT/FHWA Next Steps

• Promote HOV to HOT Conversions through Tailored
  Technical Assistance
• Urban Partners
• Provide Direct Support to the Urban Partners
• Harness and Share Experiences
• Provide General Resource Material - Tailored
  Workshops and Seminars Reference Material
• Value Pricing Pilot Program Lessons Learned
• Model Pricing Legislation
• Making the Case Outreach and Technical Support

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For More Information

• Visit
• www.fightgridlocknow.gov
• www.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion/index.htm