What happens when there is no room to widen a congested roadway? One solution is to build above the roadway. Another, suggests an HNTB expert, would be to convert an existing lane into a managed toll lane and fund transit with the revenue.
"Some of the most chronically congested highways in the Northeast are old legacy roads, which are not tolled and which have no space adjacent to them for building a new toll lane," writes Tom Curry of the Transportation Policy Hub at CQ Roll Call.
One solution was offered by Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch who "speculated last year about putting a deck on top of the existing Schuylkill Expressway and offering drivers 'a choice of what they’d be willing to pay, a fee, to get to from King of Prussia to downtown in guaranteed to 20-minute time frame'.”
Other jammed legacy highways throughout the Northeast face the same space constraints as the Schuylkill.
We discussed this with a tolling expert who just moved from California to Arlington, Va., Matthew Click, director of priced managed lanes for HNTB Corporation, a consultant to toll agencies.
According to Click, "(t)he majority of the priced managed lanes are in Florida, Texas, California and Georgia, and were originally conversions of high occupancy vehicle lanes. In the Washington-New York-Boston corridor, congestion pricing is being used only on I-495 in Virginia."
“Let us take the top ten urban areas, and pilot doing a lane conversion of a GP [general purpose] lane. Let’s put performance measurements around it that it has to meet” and regulation so that the toll revenue “doesn’t cross subsidize a convention center or something.”
Interestingly, he suggests spending toll revenue on bus rapid transit or express buses for the corridor.
What Click does not suggest is adding congestion pricing, where the price increases with the level of congestion, to toll roads with fixed rates.
[Hat tip to Mayer Horn of Univ. of Minnesota's congestion pricing forum]
FULL STORY: Can Congestion Pricing Work Where It’s Needed Most?
Popularity of Express Lanes Spreads Beyond Virginia
Dan Vock of Governing takes a broad look at congestion pricing, beginning with the success of Virginia's 66 Express Lanes, the ones where tolls initially topped $40. Notwithstanding complaints, managed lanes are spreading, but challenges remain.
Will Economists Be the New Highway Men?
Got road congestion? Pricing in the form of managed (don't call them HOT) lanes makes more sense than new construction, according to a panel of transportation experts led by HNTB Corp., reports James Bruckbauer of Michigan Land Use Institute.
It’s Time to Embrace Congestion Pricing
Charging based on demand and for access is commonplace—except on roads.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)