Equity, Pricing, and Surface Transportation Politics

Abstract

The leading current proposal for surface transportation reform, congestion pricing, is consistent with the tradition of user pay rather than redistributive equity in transportation policy. Strong versions have recently been adopted for Inner London and Stockholm but not so far in the United States, though one recently came close in New York City. The special U.S. obstacles include ample opportunities for minority veto and the equity concept do no harm (no one should be victimized by new initiatives). High occupancy toll lanes, though, which include congestion pricing elements, enjoy growing acceptance in the United States. While their benefits are modest, so are their costs and, above all politically, they do no harm.