Sharing toll revenues with transit is an innovative financing tool that can squeeze more capacity from existing transportation infrastructure and alleviate traffic gridlock. Cities across the country are combining congestion pricing with enhanced transit service as an incentive forpeople to travel during less congested times, as well as encourage the use of carpooling and transit, and reduce the enormous waste resulting from idling vehicles.

Congestion pricing is a traffic demand management strategy that prices roadways either by time of day or level of traffic. It is not a means of raising revenue, but rather a tool to allow traffic to flow more efficiently through a corridor. Studies show if only five percent of drivers change their travel behavior, either by shifting mode or time of day, significantly more people would be able to move through the exact same space in less time.  However, the benefits of congestion pricing are only possible if complemented with enhanced transit service, so it makes sense to share some of the toll revenues, after capital and operating costs are accounted for, to provide commuters more transportation options.

San Diego’s I-15 and Minneapolis’ I-394 and I-35 are two great examples of how sharing congestion pricing toll revenues with transit reduces gridlock.

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