Assessing Pricing Strategies and Users' Attitudes Towards Managed Lanes

Assessing Pricing Strategies and Users' Attitudes Towards Managed Lanes PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Assessing Pricing Strategies and Users' Attitudes Towards Managed Lanes

Assessing Pricing Strategies and Users' Attitudes Towards Managed Lanes PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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A Domestic Scan of Congestion Pricing and Managed Lanes

A Domestic Scan of Congestion Pricing and Managed Lanes PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Congestion pricing
Languages : en
Pages : 59

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Congestion pricing and managed lanes have been receiving increasing attention in the U.S. as viable congestion management strategies and as ways to generate additional revenue. The purpose of this project was to conduct a scan of selected Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs) to determine how they are planning for congestion pricing and managed lanes. The scan was designed to identify current practices for regional consideration of congestion pricing and managed lanes as strategies for managing congestion as part of the broader transportation planning process. Congestion pricing is defined, for this project, to be any roadway pricing that varies by time of day based on the level of congestion on the facility. This definition does not include congestion pricing not involving tolls, such as parking pricing projects. Although managed lanes can include any differentiation of the use of lanes on a roadway including high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, express lanes, high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or truck lanes; the focus in this project has been on the planning of managed lanes that involve pricing. This includes HOT lanes, tolled express lanes or any restricted‐use lanes that require the payment of a fee.

Marketing the Managed Lanes Concept

Marketing the Managed Lanes Concept PDF Author: Tina Collier
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Congestion pricing
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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A Decision Support System Tool for Dynamic Pricing of Managed Lanes

A Decision Support System Tool for Dynamic Pricing of Managed Lanes PDF Author: Maryam Zabihi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobile drivers
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Congestion pricing and managed lanes (ML) have been recently gaining interest around the country as a congestion management tool and as a means of revenue generation for facility maintenance and expansion as well repayment of highway construction debts. Congestion pricing in MLs entails one of several strategies, including time of day pricing, dynamic pricing based on predicted/anticipated traffic conditions, and real-time dynamic pricing based on actual traffic conditions. The overall goal of this study has been to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) tool based on drivers' revealed willingness to pay (WTP) values. This should determine more effective dynamic toll pricing that achieves the ML corridors' operational goals. A key challenge has been estimating drivers' revealed WTP as influenced by their perceived values of time or by other factors such as enhanced safety and more reliable travel times. While there are significant advances made in the available methods to estimate WTP, research still lacks in the area of dynamic pricing. Indeed, for dynamic toll pricing systems, setting real-time toll prices based only on drivers' average WTP values appears ineffective. However, the WTP values estimated through existing methods represent the average value of travel time saving and/or reliability (VOT and/or VOR) for the total population. This makes the current approaches more compatible with static networks, which cannot efficiently address the nature of dynamic corridors. Another major drawback associated with current methods is that the travelers WTP values are measured in terms of price paid to save one unit of travel time (VOT). However, the travelers' WTP to use MLs has been shown to be for a number of intertwined reasons and not just for time savings. This study suggests a number of unique approaches in estimating WTP values. These include a new revealed data source as well as an alternative analysis method for estimating WTP. To obtain more accurate results, the study was limited to the North Tarrant Expressway (NTE) drivers in North Texas and was conducted for different time periods. For this study, traffic count data were reduced from the camera images for different vehicle categories and for five different time periods, including AM and PM peaks, AM and PM inter-peaks, and off-peak periods. In addition, real-time toll prices associated with the study segment and the day and time of the data collection were obtained from the NTE website. The data analysis method involved an existing toll pricing model (TPM) developed in a former Texas Department of Transportation study for setting tolls for MLs. The model was modified and calibrated based on actual ML shares and associated toll prices for the NTE ML corridor. The modified version of TPM (version 5.0) can be employed as a DSS tool to estimate the WTP values for drivers of any vehicle class and for any time of day. Values of about $119, $101, $71, $75, and $59 per hours were estimated as the revealed average WTP for the NTE SOV drivers during AM peak, PM peak, AM inter-peak, PM inter-peak, and off-peak periods, respectively. In addition, a value of $85 per hour was estimated for the mean revealed WTP (all periods inclusive) for the NTE SOV drivers. The results of this study showed relatively high WTP values and ML share percentages for the NTE drivers, indicating a high level of acceptance of MLs in the region. Finally, this study suggested applying a new paradigm in WTP estimation studies. The employed data collection and analysis methods were two components of the new paradigm. Besides, the new paradigm recommended evaluating real-time WTP by time of day instead of average WTP values for dynamic pricing schemes. The last component was a recommendation to attribute the WTP values to the travelers' willingness to pay to drive one unit distance on toll lanes instead of to save one unit of travel time.The DSS tool developed in this study for the NTE ML has the potential to be used by ML operators to measure the real-time WTP values for the ML users. The results of this new methodology may not directly address the questions about travelers' behavior in terms of their reasons to choose between the MLs and GPLs. However, these results can significantly contribute to decision making about transportation policies, in particular, the policies associated with dynamic congestion pricing for ML corridors.

Optimal Dynamic Pricing for Managed Lanes with Multiple Entrances and Exits

Optimal Dynamic Pricing for Managed Lanes with Multiple Entrances and Exits PDF Author: Venktesh Pandey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Dynamic pricing models are explored in this thesis for high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes, which are increasingly being considered as a means to relieve congestion by providing a reliable travel time alternative to travelers. The work is focused on two aspects of dynamic pricing: (a) utilizing real-time traffic measurements to inform parameters of the pricing model and (b) developing a optimal pricing formulation for managed lanes with multiple entrances and exits. The first part of the thesis develops a non-linear estimation model to determine the parameters of the value of time (VOT) distribution using real-time loop detector measurements. The estimation model is run on a HOT network with a single entrance and exit assuming the VOT has a Burr distribution. The estimation results show that the true parameter values of a VOT distribution for a population can be learned from loop detector readings measured before and after the toll gantry location. Differing toll profile predictions are observed for different choices of initial conditions. The observability of the collected measurements to estimate the parameters of the model is identified as a primary factor for the non-linear estimation to work in real-time. Further research areas are identified to extend the analysis of using real-time loop detector data for complex HOT networks and for different toll optimization objectives. The second part proposes a dynamic programming (DP) formulation to solve distance-based optimal tolling for HOT lanes with multiple entrances and exits (HOT-MEME) under deterministic demand conditions. The simplifying assumptions made to model HOT-MEME networks found in the literature are relaxed. Two objectives are considered for optimization: maximizing generated revenue and minimizing experienced total system travel time. A spatial queue model is used to capture the traffic dynamics and a multinomial logit model is used to simulate lane choice at each diverge. A backward recursion algorithm is applied, under simplifying assumptions for the definition of the state of the system, to solve for the optimal toll. The results indicate that the DP approach can theoretically determine optimal tolls for HOT lanes with multiple entrances and exits, but further research needs to be conducted for the algorithm to work practically for medium to large size networks. Recommendations are made in the conclusion about how advanced methods can be utilized to tackle the computational constraints.

Road Pricing

Road Pricing PDF Author: Anjali Mahendra
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISBN: 0309155436
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 146

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Book Description
TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 686: Road Pricing: Public Perceptions and Program Development explores road pricing concepts and their potential effectiveness and applicability. The report includes guidelines for project planning and integrating pricing into regional and state planning processes, and for communicating strategies and engaging affected parties.

Estimating the Benefits of Managed Lanes

Estimating the Benefits of Managed Lanes PDF Author: Mark Whitman Burris
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Express highways
Languages : en
Pages : 86

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Decision Framework for Selection of Managed Lanes Strategies

Decision Framework for Selection of Managed Lanes Strategies PDF Author: Grant Fisher
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : High occupancy vehicle lanes
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
This report documents the development of a decision support methodology that accomplishes two objectives: (1) sorts out the relationships between managed lanes concepts and strategies, and (2) maps the knowledge territory in order to identify gaps. In conjunction with this particular research task, a user-friendly preliminary screening tool has been developed to assist the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in identifying managed lanes strategy options very early in the conceptual planning process. The framework for the decision support methodology is the backbone for the Managed Lanes Handbook, which offers the resources and guidance to develop a managed lanes project, addressing characteristics unique to individual facilities. This report also summarizes the evolution of managed lanes in Texas over the last five years, the legislative initiatives that have shaped TxDOTs current approach to implementation, and the gaps in the knowledge base that still leave many questions unanswered. At the national level managed lanes are a relatively new and emerging concept. However, TxDOT has led the nation in research and development with two highoccupancy toll (HOT) lanes and 10 freeway high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities in operation and over a dozen managed lanes projects currently under development in 10 Texas cities. Even with the experience to date, there are still many unanswered questions related to the long-term operation of managed lanes and numerous unknown factors that will require further research and documented practical experience through diligent monitoring and evaluation of facilities as they are implemented.

Emerging Challenges to Priced Managed Lanes

Emerging Challenges to Priced Managed Lanes PDF Author: Nick Wood (Engineer)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780309481809
Category : Express highways
Languages : en
Pages : 85

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Book Description
There is a wide disparity between the goals that state departments of transportation (DOTs) have for priced managed lanes and the public assumption for those goals. The public tends to be highly skeptical of priced managed lanes because the concept is difficult to explain to a nontechnical audience. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Synthesis 559: Emerging Challenges to Priced Managed Lanes provides an overview of the state of the practice of how state DOTs address challenges to implementing tolling, or pricing, on their managed lane systems. The synthesis entailed an extensive literature review of 60 publications and over 700 online media articles, a survey distributed to all 50 state DOTs, and a sampling of six case examples that explained specific examples of how agencies addressed challenges.

Guide for High-occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facilities

Guide for High-occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facilities PDF Author: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Publisher: American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials
ISBN: 9781560512950
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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