Brian Pessaro

Impacts to Transit from Seattle, Washington, Urban Partnership Agreement Program

This paper describes the impacts on transit that were observed in the evaluation of the Urban Partnership Agreement in Seattle, Washington. In December 2011, variable tolls were instituted on the SR-520 bridge in Seattle. Transit service frequency was enhanced approximately 11 months before tolling. The Seattle findings compared favorably with other congestion pricing projects across the United States and the world. Ridership across the SR-520 bridge increased 10% after the new service was added. It increased another 14% after tolling. The larger increase that came after tolls was similar to that observed in Stockholm, Sweden, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Speeds across the bridge increased by 14 to 18 mph. That increase was higher than the increase observed in London but lower than the increase observed in Miami, Florida, and in Minneapolis. In the pretoll survey of SR-520 bus riders, 19% said they were influenced to take transit by the enhanced transit service. An even greater percentage, 55%, said the tolls influenced them to take transit. In Atlanta, Georgia, Miami, and Minneapolis, the percentage of riders influenced by the tolls was 45%, 53%, and 23%, respectively. In the posttoll survey, 57% of riders said the tolls on SR-520 had improved their personal travel. Altogether, these findings reconfirm that congestion pricing can create a tangible incentive to take transit.

Managed Lane Toll Prices: Impact of Transportation Demand Management Activities and Toll Exemptions

This research involved a simulation that compared 3 days of actual traffic data for the I-95 Express Lanes and general purpose lanes in Miami, Florida, with a hypothetical scenario in which all transportation demand management (TDM) activities and toll exemptions were eliminated. The purpose of the research was to quantify the extent to which carpooling, vanpooling, and transit use contribute to better traffic flow in the I-95 corridor. In the hypothetical scenario there was a slight degradation in express lane level of service (LOS) and a slight increase in tolls in the southbound direction. Conversely, there was a slight improvement in express lane LOS and a slight decrease in tolls in the northbound direction. In the hypothetical scenario, many inherently low emission vehicles (ILEVs), which are toll exempt, opted out of the express lanes. The increase in express lane volume from former carpoolers, vanpoolers, and transit riders reverting to single-occupant status was often offset by even larger volumes of ILEVs leaving the express lanes. Although the traffic effect on the express lanes was mild, the effect on the general purpose lanes was more severe. In the hypothetical scenario, the general purpose lanes operated at LOS F 22% more of the time in the southbound direction and 8% more of the time in the northbound direction.

Impacts to Transit from Variably Priced Toll Lanes Results from U.S. Department of Transportation Urban Partnership Agreements

This paper describes the impacts on transit performance from three separate conversions of high-occupancy vehicle lanes into variably priced high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in Miami, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Atlanta, Georgia. The data showed that the conversions had no negative impact on bus performance. In all three cities, the buses experienced travel time savings after the conversion: 17 min in Miami, 4.5 min in Minneapolis, and 5 min in Atlanta. Similarly, the HOT conversions did not negatively affect bus ridership. Ridership increased over the baseline by 57% in Miami and 13% in Minneapolis. In Atlanta, ridership increased by 11%, and this increase began before the conversion. Bus riders’ overall perception of the HOT lanes has been positive. In surveys, the bus riders from Miami and Minneapolis gave high ratings for travel times and reliability in the HOT lane corridors. Riders in Atlanta rated the bus service as very good but were not as positive about the tolls. Riders disagreed that the HOT conversion had improved their travel or been good for the Atlanta region. These negative responses may be attributable in part to widespread disgruntlement with the HOT concept that existed even before implementation.