Tolls can manage congestion and generate revenue for better travel.
Clarifying our goals and coordination between tolling and congestion management.
Tolling is a widely used industry term to describe road pricing programs. It is worth clarifying upfront that ODOT is using ‘tolling’ as an umbrella term for the program, which is expected to include various types of tolling such as congestion pricing (also known as variable rate pricing), and other applications needed to generate revenue and manage congestion.
The two toll projects underway have a dual purpose: manage congestion and generate revenue. We are working to identify a balanced toll rate that enhances traffic flow while generating revenue for transportation improvements. A toll that is too low won’t manage congestion well. A toll that is too high leads to too many highway drivers using local streets. With a balanced toll more people benefit from improved travel on the highway and throughout the region.
We get it—no one likes paying tolls or fees. But like the cost of any service—it’s all about what you get for the amount you pay. In Oregon, the benefit of paying a toll will be a faster trip with less traffic. Congestion pricing will give people the choice for a faster highway trip when they really need it—like when they’re late for work or need to pick up their child from school or daycare. Read on for more details.
 The Toll Program’s dual objectives when setting a toll rate that finds a good balance between improving highway congestion and generating revenue for transportation improvements. The graphic shows that a system without a good balance can have negative effects to local streets and fewer people will benefit from improved travel.
“Toll” and “tolling” are general terms.
Definition: A toll is a user fee to drive on a road or across a bridge. Tolling is currently in place in many cities across the country, including Tacoma and Hood River. What we are doing: We use the words “toll” and “tolling” instead of “pricing” or “user fee” because most people understand these words, they translate better into other languages spoken in the region, and we want to be transparent.
Congestion pricing is a type of tolling.
Definition: This type of tolling charges a higher price during peak traffic periods. It’s also called value pricing or variable rate tolling. The higher fee encourages some drivers to use other travel options such as carpools or transit, or change their travel time to less congested times of the day, or change where they are going. Congestion pricing is used in places such as on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and in Seattle for the SR 520 Bridge and the SR 99 Tunnel. This is different than fixed-rate tolling, in which users pay a flat, static rate to use a road or bridge regardless of congestion or time of day. What we are doing: We are using variable rate tolls or congestion pricing. The rate of the toll will vary based on congestion at peak and non-peak hours. Even a small decrease in the number of people trying to get on the highway will make for faster commutes.
Dynamic pricing is a type of congestion pricing.
Definition: In a dynamic pricing system, tolls fluctuate in real time based on congestion. San Diego is one city with dynamic pricing on express lanes. What we are doing: In the Portland area, we are considering a predictable way of tolling where toll rates vary according to a set schedule so you would know the cost in advance. We are analyzing variable rate tolls, not dynamic pricing. We want highway users to know how much a toll costs before they start their trip.
Learn more about congestion pricing and tolling from the Federal Highway Administration or the Oregon Toll Program website.
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