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Express Travel Choices Study - Phase 1
The SCAG region has some of the most severe congestion and worst air quality in the United States and we don’t have sufficient resources to sustain and preserve our transportation system.
Around the world, there has been success in managing transportation demand, reducing congestion and providing additional choices to travelers through an approach known as value pricing, which led us to conduct the Express Travel Choices Study to evaluate these approaches to see if and how they might work in our region.
The study considered many pricing options and evaluated them in detail, including their mobility, economic and equity impacts, and how they could be implemented. We found three promising ones:
- A network of express lanes, which connects and expands express lanes already in place or in progress and can accommodate ever-growing inter-county travel
- Cordons, in areas where there is dense, mixed-use development and transit capacity
- A mileage-based user fee to establish a structurally sound funding source for taking care of our aging infrastructure and expanding travel options
Findings from this first phase were incorporated into the 2012-2035 RTP/SCS, including a regional network of express lanes and the long-term transition to a mileage-based user fee system.
Express Travel Choices Study - Phase 2
Findings from this first phase were incorporated into the 2012-2035 RTP/SCS, including a regional network of express lanes and the long-term transition to a mileage-based user fee system.
The objective of this second phase of the Express Travel Choices Study is to develop a concept of operations for a regional network of express lanes and the integration with a potential cordon pilot project that addresses the operating, design, and policy issues of a regional system. This project is expected to provide a valuable addition to the national dialogue on congestion management strategies.
Funding for the project comes from a Federal Highway Administration’s Value Pricing Pilot Program Fiscal Year 2010 Grant awarded to the California Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and SCAG. Additionally, local match is provided by Metro, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and SCAG.
Regional Efforts
Several other value pricing projects and studies are underway in the region. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) has awarded a design-build contract to extend the 91 Express Lanes from Orange County to east of I-15. RCTC is also studying the potential for Express Lanes on the I-15 Corridor. The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is studying possible express lanes along I-10. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is evaluating an express lane option in its proposed I-405 Improvement Project between I-605 and SR 55. OCTA also operates the 91 Express Lanes, which have been in operation since 1995. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) ExpressLanes pilot, one-year demonstration program concluded February 23, 2013.. The City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) Express Park™ launched on May 21, 2012.
Additional Resources
Here are some other useful resources for additional information on value pricing.
FHWA Publications on Pricing
Congestion Pricing Primer Series This series is part of FHWA’s outreach efforts to introduce the various aspects of congestion pricing to decision-makers and transportation professionals in the United States. The primers are intended to lay out the underlying rationale for congestion pricing and some of the technical issues associated with its implementation in a manner that is accessible to non-specialists in the field. Titles in this series include:
- Congestion Pricing Overview
- Non-Toll Pricing
- Technologies That Enable Congestion Pricing
- Technologies That Complement Congestion Pricing
- Transit and Congestion Pricing
- Economics: Pricing, Demand, and Economic Efficiency
- Income-Based Equity Impacts of Congestion Pricing
Videos About Pricing
Below are a few relevant videos about pricing available online:
Streetfilms As part of their “Moving Beyond the Automobile” series, Streetfilms has produced an episode on pricing.
How To Solve Traffic Jams As part of a TED presentation, Jonas Eliasson discusses traffic jams.
Mileage-Based User Fees for Transportation Planning Paul Sorensen (RAND) discusses user fees for transportation planning.
Express Travel Choices Study - Phase 1
The SCAG region has some of the most severe congestion and worst air quality in the United States and we don’t have sufficient resources to sustain and preserve our transportation system.
Around the world, there has been success in managing transportation demand, reducing congestion and providing additional choices to travelers through an approach known as value pricing, which led us to conduct the Express Travel Choices Study to evaluate these approaches to see if and how they might work in our region.
The study considered many pricing options and evaluated them in detail, including their mobility, economic and equity impacts, and how they could be implemented. We found three promising ones:
Express Travel Choices Study - Phase 2
Findings from this first phase were incorporated into the 2012-2035 RTP/SCS, including a regional network of express lanes and the long-term transition to a mileage-based user fee system.
The objective of this second phase of the Express Travel Choices Study is to develop a concept of operations for a regional network of express lanes and the integration with a potential cordon pilot project that addresses the operating, design, and policy issues of a regional system. This project is expected to provide a valuable addition to the national dialogue on congestion management strategies.
Funding for the project comes from a Federal Highway Administration’s Value Pricing Pilot Program Fiscal Year 2010 Grant awarded to the California Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and SCAG. Additionally, local match is provided by Metro, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and SCAG.
Regional Efforts
Several other value pricing projects and studies are underway in the region. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) has awarded a design-build contract to extend the 91 Express Lanes from Orange County to east of I-15. RCTC is also studying the potential for Express Lanes on the I-15 Corridor. The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is studying possible express lanes along I-10. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is evaluating an express lane option in its proposed I-405 Improvement Project between I-605 and SR 55. OCTA also operates the 91 Express Lanes, which have been in operation since 1995.
Additional Resources
Here are some other useful resources for additional information on value pricing.
FHWA Publications on Pricing
Congestion Pricing Primer Series This series is part of FHWA’s outreach efforts to introduce the various aspects of congestion pricing to decision-makers and transportation professionals in the United States. The primers are intended to lay out the underlying rationale for congestion pricing and some of the technical issues associated with its implementation in a manner that is accessible to non-specialists in the field. Titles in this series include: