Travel Options Pricing Strategies Variable Pricing VARIABLE PRICING Description Variable pricing manages demand on congested roadways by providing motorists with carefully constructed financial cues. These cues encourage motorists to use the available roadway in a more efficient manner. Transportation agencies use variable pricing on congested facilities, often those with preexisting toll components. This includes roads, bridges, or tunnels. Variable pricing can take two main forms: . Time of day pricing. Dynamic pricing. Time of day pricing functions exactly as it sounds: the administering agency adjusts the toll to vary with the time of day. The toll adjustment Cost: schedule is set to generally (but not exactly) correlate with the level of congestion on the Time: Moderate road; the times of day with higher congestion Impact: Corridor levels are tolled the highest, and the times of day Who: Public Agency with the lower congestion levels are tolled at a Hurdles: Public Acceptance lower rate. Studies have found that variable pricing is one of Dynamic pricing functions similarly to time of the most effective ways to incentivize travel day pricing but provides an increased level of alternatives. precision and technological complexity. Administering agencies set the toll to directly Target Market move in real time with level of congestion on the The application of variable pricing can provide a road. If the average speed decreases, vehicle signal for motorists to consider alternative travel count increases, or some other measure of arrangements. Variable pricing is most congestion increases, the toll will increase in commonly used on congested roadways or corresponding increments. Usually the agency roadways that are forecasted to be congested in sets a ceiling or floor for the toll, below which it the future. Variable pricing can be applied to cannot drop or above which it cannot rise. roads without a preexisting toll component or used on legacy tolled facilities that previously Adjusting the toll encourages drivers to choose: used fixed pricing. An alternate route. A different departure time. Administering agencies use variable pricing on . A different transportation mode, such as two main facilities types: transit, carpool, or vanpool. Priced lanes or shoulders. To telecommute or simply not take trips . Priced roadways. unless they are a high priority. Variably priced lanes usually include express toll lanes and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. Shoulders should also be considered for future For more information, please refer to: http://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies.php. applications of pricing. The toll is limited to one and those who can use alternative or a few lanes that run parallel to general routes, times, or modes will do so purpose lanes. Variably priced roadways have a according to their preferences. The use of varying price on all of the facility’s lanes. variable pricing can prevent congestion from occurring and reduce congestion on Variable pricing works best by encouraging existing tolled facilities. motorists to shift their travel time, alter their route, or use alternative transportation options, . Variable pricing can have low so this strategy is best applied on roadways that implementation costs that produce have readily available alternatives to traveling additional revenue for facilities or on the congested corridor, either using transit or service provision. As an example, the a parallel route. They can be useful when the Katy Managed Lanes running from Katy trips occurring in a corridor are discretionary into Houston has an annual maintenance and motorists could easily choose to drive at an cost of $350,000 but generates alternative time or eliminate the trip entirely. approximately $6.6 million in revenue. How Will This Help? . Variably-priced facilities can accommodate equity concerns through . Variable pricing can reduce congestion on tolled facilities by moving some traffic transit alternatives and discounting fees demand to alternate times, routes, for specified accounts. For example, the modes, or by eliminating trips. Previous Katy Managed Lanes allow certain studies have found that when vehicles to travel for free any time, and transportation agencies implement others to travel for free only during peak variable pricing, motorists significantly hours. High occupancy vehicles can use shift their travel patterns around the the managed lane for free during peak pricing structures. Motorists reduce their periods, whereas motorcycles, and traveling from the peak periods to the transit vehicles to travel on the tolled discounted, off-peak periods. The lanes at no cost during all periods. construction of new, variably-priced Implementation express lanes allows traffic to flow at IH 15 FasTrak Express Lanes, San Diego, CA: higher speeds and volumes than general The IH 15 FasTrak Express Lanes in San Diego, purpose lanes, reduces congestion, and CA, are operated by the San Diego Association of increases vehicle throughput on the Governments (SANDAG). A 20-mile section overall facility. consists of two managed lanes in each direction, . Variable pricing increases the efficiency dynamically priced for SOVs, with intermediate of the transportation network by ramps serving areas along the corridor. Bus providing market signals to increase rapid transit (BRT) is a significant component of driver awareness of the trip costs. When the expansion project, with new BRT transit roadways are not priced, the only costs stations built along the route as part of the that motorists incur (outside those for project. The IH 15 express lanes use dynamic normal vehicle operation) is that of their pricing. Toll rates typically vary from $0.50 to time. When a variable price is put on the $4.00 but can rise as high as $8.00 in severely road, motorists will evaluate the value of congested conditions. Technology deployed in the trip more accurately according to the corridor allows for the assessment of current their preferences. Those who must use traffic conditions. The toll rate is adjusted the road during the peak time will do so, dynamically to ensure free-flow conditions in the For more information, please refer to: http://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies.php. express lanes. Dynamic message signs posted Application Techniques and Principles prior to the entrance of the facility alert the When implementing variable pricing, the drivers to the current toll. managing agencies would need to assess the needs of their facility and select suitable options IH 10 Katy Freeway, Managed Lanes, to match. If the toll component is new, tolling Houston, TX: The Katy Freeway managed lanes operate using time of day pricing. The toll infrastructure will need to be constructed, software developed, and hardware selected for charges $1 for a 12-mile trip in the off peak, $2 during the hour before and after the peak two motorists’ on-board units. Using all electronic tolling would be vital for maximizing hours, and $4 during the peak two hours in both the morning and evening. The lane allows throughput. If implementation occurs on a HOV2+ vehicles to travel for free during peak facility with preexisting tolling equipment, hours. The pricing is set to ensure continuous agencies would need to adjust the software free flow conditions in the lanes. The managing algorithms to calculate and charge the new toll rates, especially with dynamic pricing. Signs that agency may choose to convert to dynamic pricing in the future if demand requires it. inform motorists of the current toll will need to be constructed. As with any major project, the Midpoint Bridge, Lee County, FL: managing agencies should develop a concept of The Midpoint Bridge in Lee County, Florida operations that analyzes the relevant constraints provides a good example of the impacts of and considerations, like the level of demand, variable pricing. The facility had an existing toll willingness to pay, infrastructure needed, level component before implementing the variable of public support, and availability of pricing. The facility began providing a 50 percent transportation alternatives. discount when traveling during the discount . periods (6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. to Level of demand: is there sufficient 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. demand, either currently or anticipated, to 7:00 p.m.) provided they paid the toll to justify implementing variable pricing? . : how much are electronically. Willingness to pay motorists willing to pay for what level of Following the implementation of variable speed improvement? pricing, the facility experienced increases in . Facilities: Will an existing facility be traffic in the off-peak (with increases reaching modified, or will additional lanes need to nearly 20 percent in some time periods) and be constructed? experienced decreased traffic volumes during . Public support: What is level of support, the peak period (with decreases reaching about and what actions should be taken to 13 percent in some time periods). increase support for this project? IH 35W Dynamically Priced Shoulder Lane, . Alternative transportation options: Minneapolis, MN: The Minnesota DOT are there sufficient alternative options converted the shoulder into a tolled lane that for motorists who do not wish to pay a operates during periods of congestion. The toll? added lane increases the capacity of the road and Issues provides a source of additional revenue to the Variable pricing’s most difficult hurdle lies in state. The DOT constructed pricing signs that public resistance to variable tolling and a lack of also indicate whether or not the lane is open to public knowledge of the benefits and costs of the general traffic. The pricing is dynamic and varies program. Many may resist the concept, thinking between $0.25 and $8.00. The average toll for they must pay for something that has always peak periods is $1.00–$3.00 For more information, please refer to: http://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies.php. been free. This pressure may inhibit variable Cost pricing program growth.