EQUITY AND FAIRNESS CONSIDERATIONS OF CONGESTION PRICING

The purpose of this paper is to address equity and fairness issues associated with congestion pricing. Changing policy imperatives in the United States make congestion pricing an increasingly attractive policy alternative. However, serious barriers to implementation remain, and equity concerns have emerged an one of the most significant. The paper begins with a discussion of equity and its many dimensions. The types of equity and fairness issues associated with congestion pricing are examined, and the difficulties of assessing equity impacts are discussed. Second, findings from previous research are summarized. Third, the equity of current policy with respect to the highway system is addressed, and fourth, the aspects of equity and fairness in the context of the travelers who would be subject to congestion tolls are discussed. Data primarily from Southern California are used to show that most travel on congested facilities is work related, and various commuter groups are examined to see how they might be affected by congestion tolls. Specific examples are used to illustrate how congestion tolls in Southern California might affect various commuter groups. The paper concludes with a discussion of the extent to which equity and fairness issues can be resolved and of the impact of these issues on the feasibility of implementing congestion pricing in the United States.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309055059
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Giuliano, Genevieve
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 250-279
• Monograph Title: CURBING GRIDLOCK: PEAK-PERIOD FEES TO RELIEVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. VOLUME 2: COMMISSIONED PAPERS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 242
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Assessments; Commuters; Congestion pricing; Equity; Guides to the literature; Impacts; Literature reviews; Policy analysis; Travelers
• Geographic Terms: Southern California
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Policy; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00648248
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309055059
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 23 1994 12:00AM