Urban Road Pricing Research Articles

The impact of urban road pricing on the use of bike sharing

We empirically analyse the effect of road pricing on the use of bike sharing. We exploit two sudden policy changes in Milan's congestion pricing scheme resulting in a shift from priced to unpriced road use: a temporary suspension of the scheme in 2012, and a durable reduction in its application schedule. We find that the sudden removal of road pricing decreases bike-sharing use by about 5%. The policy impact mainly occurs through the increase of road traffic congestion, which makes cycling less safe and pleasant. The reduction in the schedule leads to an 8% decline in bike-sharing use in the affected time window. Our findings indicate that policies inducing drivers to internalise the external costs of car use also promote the uptake of non-polluting transport modes. This widens the spectrum of benefits that need to be considered in the design and implementation of road pricing policies.

Analysis of social acceptability in the implementation of a congestion pricing area in Senegal

Urban road pricing is presented as an effective instrument in the context of public transportation policies to improve sustainability in large cities and their surroundings. Among the main problems of its implementation is the lack of social acceptance. The present article, through a population survey, aims to analyze the social acceptability in the implementation of an urban toll in the city of Dakar to identify the effectiveness of this measure on mobility patterns and the advantages and disadvantages declared by citizens as indicators of the degree of social acceptability. The results of the research reveal a set of significant implications in the field of transportation policies that serve as the basis for strategic decision making and to ensure an adequate level of social acceptability of the proposed toll system.

A Model to Evaluate the Effect of Urban Road Pricing on Traffic Speed and Congestion in Madrid City Center and Its Surrounding

Currently, traffic intensity in large cities and their surroundings constitute the main unsustainability factor associated with urban transport, leading to significant traffic speed reduction due to high levels of congestion. Road pricing seems to be a measure of transport policy capable of improving efficiency and sustainability in urban transport, reducing traffic intensity and increasing traffic speed, as reflected in the main road pricing indicators currently in operation (Singapore, London, Stockholm, Milan…). Based on the data obtained through a mobility survey applied to a theoretical design of road pricing for the city of Madrid, we developed a traffic speed forecast model using time series analysis, to which we applied the mobility survey results. The research results show that theoretical urban road pricing could imply very significant positive effects in traffic speed increase and congestion reduction, fundamentally in the city center and metropolitan crown, as well as demonstrating positive effects in the improvement of traffic speed in those municipalities furthest from the urban center. Moreover, our findings reveal that road pricing would allow an average traffic speed increase in the protected area of the city center during the operating hours of between 10% and 32.5%: 15.9% in the metropolitan crown, 10% in M-30, and 32.5% in the case of Madrid’s city center.

New Dimensions of Vulnerability to Energy and Transport Poverty

As we decarbonise societies, we need to consider how such transitions interconnect energy and transport systems. In this Commentary, we argue that we need a better understanding of who may be vulnerable in low-carbon transitions. Current energy poverty definitions and metrics focus overwhelmingly on energy service consumption within the home, yet similar issues in the transport sector are often neglected. Failure to account for the intersections between energy and transport poverty may deepen structural forms of deprivation and worsen social and material inequalities, therefore preventing equitable transitions.

Adjust urban and rural road pricing for fair mobility

Synergistically addressing local and global environmental damages rather than optimizing a specific aspect of the policy conundrum helps to effectively foster climate action in road transport while maintaining public acceptance and socially fair outcomes.

Essays on Environmental Policy: Design and Evaluation

In this PhD thesis, I analyze the impacts of the design and implementation of different environmental policy tools from a theoretical and empirical perspective: certificates providing information on the energy performance of buildings; urban road pricing schemes such as congestion charges; quantity-based policy tools to support production with non-polluting technologies.JEL codes: D82, Q48, H23, Q58, R48.

Influencing Factors in Congestion Pricing Acceptability: A Literature Review

Roads congestion pricing has been considered as an effective solution following the successful implementation of such programs by many cities such as Singapore, Stockholm, and London. In multiple cases, congestion pricing projects have not been implemented, and multitudinous industrialized countries’ governments are struggling to find an effective and satisfactory way of introducing congestion pricing schemes that will not be affected by the public’s negative opinion and resistance. The lack of political and public acceptability can, therefore, be blamed for the nonimplementation of many congestion pricing projects in many cities around the world. This paper reviews eight cases where congestion pricing schemes were implemented or rejected, as well as the major influencing factors that enable congestion pricing introduction and acceptability by road users, discusses public and political acceptance of urban road pricing, and provides a valuable guideline for policy and decision-makers.

Is Road Pricing a Sustainable Policy? Jakarta Case

Urban road pricing involves direct charging of drivers for the use of the road network, usually during peak periods. The main objectives for the introduction of a road pricing scheme, in a congested city network, include reduction of delays, environmental improvement and revenue increase. These objectives are closely associated with the concepts of sustainable mobility in urban areas with respect to social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental responsibility. There have been intensive discussions about sustainable transportation in Indonesia. In tune with the issue of climate change and the decline in the ability to provide fuel, this paper is intended to look at the perspective of road pricing from the standpoint of traffic flow, travel speed, emissions reduction, and energy consumption as well as pricing scheme. As pricing will be imposed for the Moslem community, it should conform with Islamic tax income which is for the benefits of poor, needy and less privileged people in the society. The conclusion drawn is that the frenzied application of road pricing will be able to improve traffic in Greater Jakarta but the sustainability of pricing should be adjusted with Islamic tax income.

The Diesel Debate: Economic Policy Recommendations

Diesel technology and the associated environmental burden of local and global pollutant emissions have long been the focus of environmental policy debates. This article considers various negative external effects resulting from the use of combustion engines. A number of economic policy instruments can help to reduce these effects in the long term, such as the introduction of an urban road pricing scheme that is linked to local pollution levels, a greater focus on CO2 abatement in the sectors included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), or the integration of the transport sector into the EU ETS.

Los peajes urbanos como factor determinante de sostenibilidad y competitividad en el transporte urbano: un estudio aplicado a Madrid

Urban road pricing is a highly contributory measure to improve sustainability in transport in the area of large cities. This article provides an assessment and analysis of changes in the mobility behavior of the citizens of Madrid as a result of the implementation of a hypothetical toll in the city center. According to the results obtained through a population survey of 1,298 citizens, the study concludes that the application of this measure would provide a significant reduction in car use, a considerable increase in the use of public transport and other sustainable modes (walking or cycling) and a significant reduction of urban congestion in the city center and its surroundings, which would help to achieve greater sustainability in transport for the region as a whole .

A forecast air pollution model applied to a hypothetical urban road pricing scheme: An empirical study in Madrid

Reducing the air pollution from increases in traffic congestion in large cities and their surroundings is an important problem that requires changes in travel behavior. Road pricing is an effective tool for reducing air pollution, as reflected currently urban road pricing outcomes (Singapore, London, Stockholm and Milan). A survey was conducted based on establishing a hypothetical urban road pricing system in Madrid (a random sample size n=1298). We developed a forecast air pollution model with time series analysis to evaluate the consequences of possible air pollution decreases in Madrid. Results reveal that the hypothetical road pricing for Madrid could have highly significant effects on decreasing air pollution outside of the city and in the inner city during the peak operating time periods of maximum congestion (morning peak hours from 7:00 to 10:00 and evening peak hours from 18:00 to 20:00). Furthermore, this system could have significant positive effects on a shift toward using public transport and non-motorized modes inside the hypothetical toll zone. This reveals that the system has a high capacity to motivate a decrease in air pollution and impose more sustainable behavior for public transport users.

Can we leave road pricing to the regions? -The role of institutional constraints

Many countries still use federal fuel taxes as the main instrument to charge for road use. Recently, urban road pricing and regional distance charging have gained momentum, increasing opportunities for future decentralized decision-making. However, whether leaving road pricing decisions to regional authorities is a good idea is not a priori clear. Previous political economy models have suggested that in the large majority of cases decentralization yields higher welfare than federal pricing decisions. In this paper, we extend a political economy model of a two-region federation to show that this conclusion does not hold once we allow for commonly observed institutional constraints on federal decision making. We show that requiring user prices to be uniform across regions greatly improves the efficiency of centralized decision making. The same holds when federal decisions are the result of a legislative bargaining process among elected regional representatives. Under these institutional constraints, federal decisions may easily outperform decentralization, even when the opposite would hold in the absence of the constraints. The model also explains under what conditions such constraints will automatically be embedded in the federal constitution. Specifically, if regions are symmetric and drivers have a majority in both regions, they will voluntarily transfer power to the federal level, provided the relevant policy restrictions (uniform pricing or legislative bargaining) are constitutionally imposed. However, if drivers have a majority in one region only, the region where non-users have a majority will never agree to transfer decision power to the federal level.

Carbon Pricing: Design, Experiences and Issues, edited by LarryKreiser, MikaelAndersen, BirgitteOlsen, StefanSpeck, JanetMilne and HopeAshiabor. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, 2015, 256 pages. ISBN: 9781785360220, ₤75.

Carbon Pricing: Design, Experiences and Issues, edited by LarryKreiser, MikaelAndersen, BirgitteOlsen, StefanSpeck, JanetMilne and HopeAshiabor. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, 2015, 256 pages. ISBN: 9781785360220, ₤75.

Predicting the results of a referendum on urban road pricing in France: “the cry of Cassandra”?

Abundant literature now exists on the acceptability of the new pricing measure represented by urban tolls. However, this literature contains few examples providing a “political” analysis of their introduction. Here, our aim is to study how the political behavior of individuals, identified on the basis of general attitudes regarding the principles of regulation and pricing, influences, or does not influence, attitudes with respect to urban tolls. We study the ex-ante determinants of a vote on urban tolls. We use the results of a survey performed in France in the framework of the European Project ExpAcc (Explanatory Factors of Road User Charging Acceptability). We process the data using a Principal Components Analysis (PCA) then perform ordered logit estimation. Regarding the specific question to the referendum, we show that it would be rejected by electors. We also show that there is a significant link between general attitudes to regulation by legislation, tax or pricing policies in transport on the one hand, and the vote in the referendum on tolls on the other. We confirm that individual self-interest matters a lot in political behaviour but that other types of motives also matter strongly As a consequence, a real-life political analysis cannot be limited to classical “economic” variables, even if they matter too obviously. Lastly, our results should be placed in relation with those concerning the more global issue of the acceptability of a new pricing measure through, for example, that of the compensation to be implemented.

Urban Road Pricing: A Comparative Study on the Experiences of London, Stockholm and Milan

Urban road pricing schemes have been designed in order to reduce externalities generated by traffic. Main impacts regard: time loss due to congestion, local pollution, noise; contribution to climate change caused by emissions of GHGs, pavement costs and road damages, increase in accidents risks, extra-fuel consumption, decrease in quality of life. Moreover road pricing schemes generate public revenues.The paper performs a comparative evaluation of the three main experiences of urban road pricing in Europe: London (in operations since 2003), Stockholm (in operations since 2007, after a period of trial in 2006) and Milan (in operations since 2008, with a shift from pollution to congestion charge in 2012). Since their launch, the schemes have been adjusted in terms of amount of charge, area of application and other features.The schemes have been able to reduce negative externalities generated by traffic, such as accidents, congestion and emissions, up to different levels. A comparative analysis of the three schemes is provided. Determinants of differences in the effectiveness of the schemes are evaluated with a particular focus on elasticity of use of private vehicles to charge.The results can be useful to design well targeted congestion charge schemes and to assess their efficacy.

Urban Road Pricing: A Comparative Study on the Experiences of London, Stockholm and Milan

Urban road pricing schemes have been designed in order to reduce externalities generated by traffic. Main impacts regard: time loss due to congestion, local pollution, noise, contribution to climate change caused by emissions of GHGs, pavement costs and road damages, increase in accidents risks, extra-fuel consumption, decrease in quality of life. Moreover road pricing schemes generate public revenues.The paper performs a comparative evaluation of the three main experiences of urban road pricing in Europe: London (in operations since 2003), Stockholm (in operations since 2007, after a period of trial in 2006) and Milan (in operations since 2008, with a shift from pollution to congestion charge in 2012). Since their launch, the schemes have been adjusted in terms of amount of charge, area of application and other features.The schemes have been able to reduce negative externalities generated by traffic, such as accidents, congestion and emissions, up to different levels. A comparative analysis of the three schemes is provided. Determinants of differences in the effectiveness of the schemes are evaluated with a particular focus on elasticity of use of private vehicles to charge.The results can be useful to design well targeted congestion charge schemes and to assess their efficacy.

Logistics Implications of Urban Road Pricing

Logistics Implications of Urban Road Pricing

The acceptability of road pricing: Evidence from two studies in Vienna and four other European cities

Road pricing is an effective means of influencing car usage. Based on recent literature and empirical research, an established model was applied to five European cities. Not surprisingly, there is low acceptability for coercive measures like road pricing in general, but a closer look reveals a more differentiated picture. The impact of several factors on eventual acceptability was analysed. Consequently, critical factors can be identified in order to develop more effective strategies. Moreover, the role of trials is discussed. Acceptability is higher, if the necessity for a measure has well been communicated and if personal benefits can be expected. The results indicate that the underlying model can be regarded as a very valid measurement tool for acceptability of coercive traffic demand management measures. The paper also has implications for designing and successfully implementing urban road pricing schemes.

Evaluation of Load Factor Control and Urban Freight Road Pricing Joint Schemes with Multi-agent Systems Learning Models

This paper describes the use of the multi-agent systems (MAS) modelling approach, incorporated with reinforcement learning models, that is experimented on a part of Osaka road network with ITS-based travel time information. The MAS model included an exact solution method to solve the vehicle routing problem of carriers’ delivery jobs and is used to evaluate the short-term impact of distance-based road pricing on the major stakeholders including the carriers, shippers, administrators and customers. The evaluation is extended to consider the load factor control scheme implemented as a joint scheme with the urban freight road pricing. The results from our experiment show that the city logistics joint scheme has the potential of improving average daily load factors and reduce emissions in comparison with no schemes implemented.

A Land-Use Transport Model to Assess the Impact of Urban Policies on Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Sustainability

Urban policies are considered important measures for mitigating global warming. They are estimated to have a substantial positive impact on CO2 emissions from urban activities, owing to changes in the behavior of actors in the urban system. This means that urban mitigation policies would also affect the quality of life of urban residents. The impact of urban policies should therefore be assessed with regards to both CO2 emissions and sustainability. This study demonstrates the applicability of a land-use transport model to urban mitigation policy assessment. First, the authors develop a model in which actors’ location decisions and travel behavior are explicitly formulated. Second, this model is applied to two urban policies, road pricing and land-use regulation, to assess their long-term impact on CO2 emissions and sustainability. The study verifies that the developed model has the capacity, under assumed conditions, to consistently assess urban policies regarding CO2 emissions and sustainability.