Value Pricing Roadways

Traditional congestion pricing strategies are meant to reduce demand on heavily congested roads by charging every user a toll during times when the facility experiences congestion. Value pricing refers to the practice of requiring drivers to pay the right toll for the first class service of a guaranteed congestion-free lane. This article describes the successful implementation of four such programs launched in California and Texas: State Route-91 in Orange County, CA, 1-15 in San Diego, CA, and the I- 10 Katy Freeway and US 290 Northwest Freeway in Houston, TX. The article also describes a current ongoing effort to research value pricing projects in North Carolina