A METHOD OF DETERMINING BRIDGE TOLLS

THE TOLL ON PUBLICLY OWNED BRIDGES SHOULD BE EQUAL TO THE SUM OF (A) COSTS DIRECTLY OCCASIONED BY A VEHICLE'S PASSAGE (FOR PAVEMENT WEAR AND TOLL COLLECTIONS), PLUS (B) A PROPORTIONATE PART OF THE FIXED BRIDGE COSTS (INTEREST ON THE INVESTMENT, INSURANCE, ETC.). THE COSTS IN THE FIRST GROUP VARY WITH USE AND MAY BE ASSIGNED DIRECTLY TO EACH USER, BUT ARE SO SMALL A PART AS TO BE UNIMPORTANT. THE SECOND GROUP MAKES UP ALMOST ALL THE COST OF PROVIDING BRIDGE SERVICE, BUT BEING UNAFFECTED BY USE THESE COSTS CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUAL USERS. TOLLS SHOULD BE ADJUSETED TO REFLECT THE COSTS INCURRED BY EACH VEHICLE. FIXED COSTS SHOULD BE CHARGED TO PEAK-HOUR TRAFFIC, SINCE THIS DETERMINES THE DESIGNED CAPACITY OF THE BRIDGE. VEHICLES CROSSING DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS DO NOT ADD TO FIXED COSTS, BUT ONLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CAPACITY THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE UNUSED. TRUCK TRAFFIC SHOULD PAY FIXED COSTS BEYOND THOSE FOR THE SAME BRIDGE DESIGNED FOR PASSNEGER CARS ALONE. TRUCKS DURING PEAK HOURS ARE COUNTED AS TWO CARS TO ADJUST FOR GREATER VOLUME CAPACITY IN DESIGNING THE STRUCTURE.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/36/36-008.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 36, pp 64-86, 4 FIG, 6 TAB, 12 REF. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Claffey, P J
• Publication Date: 1957

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, Washington, D.C., January 7-11, 1957
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 36
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Highways; Passenger car equivalence; Public roads; Tolls; User charges
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Economics; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226017
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 22 1972 12:00AM