Economics of Urban Highway Congestion and Pricing offers the most extensive examination to date of the relationship between congestion tolls and highway capacity in the long run. This study breaks new ground in the economic theory of optimal road capacity by including theoretical contributions, empirical studies, and simulation experiments that all pertain to the general topic reflected in the title. The book is organized into four sections: 1) highway traffic flow; 2) commuter choice of tollways versus freeways; 3) congestion pricing in the short run; and 4) road capacity and pricing in the long run. In particular, the first section on highway traffic flow examines the chief models and empirical studies of vehicular flow on urban highways. The second section of the book is a theoretical and empirical examination of the choice that commuters make between urban tollways and freeways. The third section is devoted to congestion pricing in the short run, the time period in which the urban highway facilities are taken as given. This section is the most important part of the book from the standpoint of public policy. The fourth and last section of the book considers road capacity and pricing in the long run, with the concluding chapter gathering the authors' main results in one place and making recommendations both for current policy and for future research.
Microscopic models, rather than macroscopic ones that are too simplified and too aggregated, they argue, will lead to the analysis of a wider and more creative range of policies, at least some of which should work well and be politically acceptable."--Jacket.
This book on road traffic congestion in cities and suburbs describes congestion problems and shows how they can be relieved. The first part (Chapters 1 - 3) shows how congestion reflects transportation technologies and settlement patterns. The second part (Chapters 4 - 13) describes the causes, characteristics, and consequences of congestion. The third part (Chapters 14 - 23) presents various relief strategies - including supply adaptation and demand mitigation - for nonrecurring and recurring congestion. The last part (Chapter 24) gives general guidelines for congestion relief and provides a general outlook for the future. The book will be useful for a wide audience - including students, practitioners and researchers in a variety of professional endeavors: traffic engineers, transportation planners, public transport specialists, city planners, public administrators, and private enterprises that depend on transportation for their activities.
Microscopic models, rather than macroscopic ones that are too simplified and too aggregated, they argue, will lead to the analysis of a wider and more creative range of policies, at least some of which should work well and be politically acceptable."--Jacket.
Examines the regulation of road traffic congestion in theory and practice, within the context of social and political feasibility. Looks at Pigouvian taxes, the most popular policy prescription among economists, and considers a variety of other policies which may be more politically and socially acceptable. Other subjects discussed include congestion and urban development, congestion pricing and road infrastructure investment, and road pricing and urban sustainability. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
"The synthesis describes the experience of several foreign countries that have used road pricing, or congestion pricing, as a means to manage congestion. The synthesis contains dicussions of the policy, equity, and implementation issues associated with congestion pricing. Several of the schemes described were planned or implemented as methods to increase roadway funding rather than for congestion management, but have had the effect of changing travel patterns."--Avant-propos.