Analysis of Time Allocation, Departure Time, and Route Choice Behavior Under Congestion Pricing

Abstract

Driver behavior under congestion pricing is analyzed to evaluate the effects of alternative congestion pricing schemes. The analysis, which is based on stated preference survey results, focuses on time allocation, departure time choice, and route choice when a congestion pricing scheme is implemented on toll roads in Japan. A unique feature of the model system of this study is that departure time choice and route choice are analyzed in conjunction with the activities before and after the trip. A time allocation model is developed to describe departure time choice, and a route and departure time choice model is developed as a multinomial logit model with alternatives representing the choice between freeways and surface streets and, for departure time, the choice from among before, during, or after the period when congestion pricing is in effect. The results of the empirical analysis suggest that departing during the congestion pricing period tends to have higher utilities and that a worker and a nonworker have quite different utility functions. The comparative analysis of different congestion pricing schemes is carried out based on the estimated parameters. The results suggest that the probability of choosing each alternative is stable even if the length of the congestion pricing period changes, but a higher congestion price causes more drivers to change the departure time to before the congestion pricing period.