Sustainable transport system: Improve mode share of public transport by congestion pricing

This paper addresses the toll design problem for cordon-based congestion pricing with the objective of improving mode share of public transport system, so as to enhance the sustainability of transport system. In practice, cordon-based pricing has two unique features: (1) toll charge should be reduced, if congestion level is low; (2) toll charge on each entry link of one cordon should be identical. Considering these two features, this paper shows that the toll can be formulated as a side constrained flow assignment model. The flow assignment problem also provides the corresponding mode share value of each feasible toll pattern. Then, based on the flow assignment model, an optimization model is proposed for the toll design problem.