Toll-managed lane pioneers: Lessons from five US states

Abstract

Toll-managed lanes have become an increasingly popular technique among transportation policymakers for managing congestion on existing highways and, in some cases, financing the construction of new lanes in congested urban corridors. Although growing in popularity, the adoption of these facilities is concentrated in five states: Texas, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and Florida. This paper examines the adoption and utilization of toll-managed lanes in these pioneer states. Using archival, case-based research, our analysis suggests that the adoption of toll-managed lanes was driven by a combination of factors, including rapid population growth, near or above average growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and insufficient gas tax funding for transportation investments. Implementation was also generally similar across states but some of the pioneers delegated the management of their toll-managed lane programs to special regional highway authorities while others used state highway agencies.