The network effects of alternative road pricing systems

This paper reports the results of a study funded by the UK Science and Engineering Research Council and related work for the US Transportation Research Board, on the performance of different methods for charging for the use of road space. Most work on road pricing has assumed that charges would be levied at points on the road network, which could be combined to form one or more cordons or screenlines. More recently, these charging structures have been criticised as being inflexible, inequitable in imposing the same charge on short and long journeys, and disruptive, in that they can lead to congestion on boundary routes. In response, a number of alternative charging systems have been developed. The studies reported here have considered four charging systems: point or cordon charging; charges related to time spent in an area; charges related to distance travelled in an area; and charges related to time spent in congestion