RELATION BETWEEN OPTIMUM CONGESTION TOLLS AND PRESENT HIGHWAY USER CHARGES

Abstract

ROUGH ESTIMATES ARE DEVELOPED OF THE OPTIMUM CONGESTION TOLL STRUCTURE FOR THE LARGE URBAN CENTER OF THE TWIN CITIES /MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MINN./ TO PROVIDE SOME EVEN ROUGHER ESTIMATES OF THE COSTS THAT RESULT FROM THE INABILITY AND/OR UNWILLINGNESS TO IMPOSE SUCH TOLLS. SPECIFICATIONS OF THE OPTIMUM TOLL STRUCTURE REQUIRES QUANTITATION OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG TRIP COSTS, TRAFFIC DENSITY AND HIGHWAY CHARACTERISTICS. TWO FUNDAMENTAL GENERALIZATIONS RESULTED FROM THE STUDY' /1/ INASMUCH AS CONGESTION TOLLS OF MORE THAN 6 CENTS PER VEHICLE MILE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAFFIC LEVELS PREVAILING DURING THE GREATEST PART OF THE DAY, CURRENT GASOLINE AND VEHICLE LICENSE TAXES AGGREGATE TO ONLY ABOUT 1 CENT PER VEHICLE MILE, AND THESE TAXES APPEAR MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO COVER CURRENT HIGHWAY CONSTUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, IT SEEMS SAFE TO ASSERT THAT THE PRESENT HIGHWAY NETWORK IS GROSSLY UNDERDEVELOPED, AND /2/ A CONSIDERABLE SOCIAL LOSS IS INVOLVED IN CURRENT HIGHWAY UTILIZATION PATTERNS, PARTIALLY BECAUSE USER CHARGES DO NOT VARY WITH THE DEMAND FOR HIGHWAY SERVICES.

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