Stockholm's Congestion Pricing Cuts Traffic, Boosts Clean Vehicle Sales

"[A] new study has found another benefit from so-called congestion pricing: In the 24-square kilometer congestion zone in Sweden's capital, the number of registered alternative fuel vehicles, which are exempt from congestion tolls, jumped from five percent of the total vehicle fleet in 2006 to 14 percent in 2008.

'The changes in the make-up of the vehicle fleet are not exclusively due to the congestion tax, but surveys show that exemption from the congestion tax is the single most significant incentive for those buying alternative fuel vehicles in Stockholm,' concluded the report, which was released this month by the Stockholm Traffic Administration."

Greenhouse gas emissions were down 14%-18% in 2008 compared to 2005 figures, and traffic congestion fell by 18% over that same time period.