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Quantifying traffic congestion is a critical task for transportation planning and research. Numerous metrics have been developed, mainly focusing on changes in vehicle speeds, their extents, and travel time. In this study, new metrics are presented using the Hägerstrand's space-time cube that has been studied from time geography perspectives since the 1960s. Particularly, the product of distance and time, i.e., distanceTime, is proposed as a base metric to measure traffic congestion amounts. Using the base metric such as mileHours, metrics of weighted congestion and normalized congestion amounts were also developed. New metrics were applied to six metropolitan areas and their vicinities in the United States (Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Dallas and Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and New York), and congestion amounts were calculated and compared. The Google Traffic Layer API was used to obtain traffic congestion datasets for six months (April–September 2022), and GIS (geographic information systems) was used for delineating road features and traffic intensity levels. Among the six areas, New York and its vicinity showed the largest congestion when only heavy congestion was used. Los Angeles and its vicinity showed the largest congestion when all congestion levels were considered. This study shows that the proposed metrics are very effective in summarizing traffic amounts and broadly applicable for further analyses of traffic congestion phenomena by associating various other factors, such as weekdays, months, or gas prices. The new metrics developed in this research may help transportation researchers and practitioners by providing them with a set of metrics applicable to summarizing congestion amounts by synthesizing congestion intensity, extent, and duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing car ownership and congestion pose a threat to urban transportation sustainability in most urban areas globally. Harare Metropolitan Region has not been immune to traffic congestion due the influx of vehicles and the subsequent growth in private vehicle ownership. The study sought to determine the effect of vehicle miles travelled (VMT) on traffic congestion. A cross-section survey and a pragmatism research philosophy were utilized. The research focused on Harare Metropolitan Region households, urban planners, transportation planners, and motorists. The study's sample size was 384 people, chosen using convenience and purposive sampling techniques. Data was gathered from respondents using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. To examine the validity of all the items included in the study, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in Amos version 21 was used to test the study hypothesis. According to the study, VMT has a positive influence on traffic congestion. The study suggests that there is a need for actor-factor analysis, in which policies are developed by realistically connecting social actors from the top to the bottom. Furthermore, policymakers should enact policies and make appropriate investments that encourage people to drive less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When multiple equilibria exist, the desired traffic equilibrium, may not be reached through a day-to-day dynamic adjustment process. Han et al. ["Discrete-Time Day-to-Day Dynamic Congestion Pricing Scheme Considering Multiple Equilibria." Transportation Research Part B: Methodological 104: 1–16.] proposed a day-to-day dynamic pricing scheme charged on all links to ensure the desired traffic equilibrium can be achieved even when multiple equilibria exist. However, due to many practical constraints, the second-best pricing scheme has more practical interests. This study first discussed the issues of existing congestion pricing schemes for second-best case. Then, this study developed a second-best dynamic road pricing scheme that is implemented on a dynamic subset of the road links in the network. Our rigorous theoretical proof and numerical tests prove that the dynamic pricing scheme can drive the traffic state evolution towards the desired second-best traffic user equilibrium state from any initial traffic state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is designed to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of transportation systems and reduce traffic congestion through the use of simulation models and scenario development. A system dynamics framework is used to test and evaluate the alternatives of future strategies for the city of Surabaya, Indonesia. Some factors affecting the effectiveness of transport systems include operational effectiveness and service effectiveness, as well as uncertainty. To improve the effectiveness of transportation systems, several strategies can be implemented, such as subsidizing public transportation, increasing the cost of private vehicle parking fees, raising taxes on private vehicles, and reducing delays in public transportation through scenario development. Scenario results show that, by pursuing these strategies, effectiveness could be improved by 80% as the impact of the increase in operational and service effectiveness, helping to mitigate traffic congestion. Congestion could be reduced to 70% (on average) due to the decrease in daily traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We study different mixes of private and public supply of roads in a network with bottleneck congestion and heterogeneous users. There are two parallel links for one origin and destination pair and two groups of travellers, where the group with the higher value of time also has higher schedule delay values. Previous scholars argued that as users become more heterogeneous, they benefit more from product differentiation, making private supply of roads more efficient. However, we find that local monopoly power might also increase if there is a 'separating equilibrium', which is an equilibrium where at least one group only uses one private road due to the different combinations of toll and congestion of the two roads. The private road can thus increase its toll without worrying about the competition from the other road for this group: it has a local monopoly over them. This lowers the efficiency of private supply. The problem is especially severe with flat tolls, which are constant over the peak. With fine tolls – which vary continuously over the day – there tends to be a pooling equilibrium – where both types use both roads – and competition remains intense. Flat tolling is also worse for users than fine tolling, as it has higher generalized prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid development of urbanization and automation has resulted in serious urban traffic congestion and air pollution problems in many Chinese cities recently. As a traffic demand management strategy, congestion pricing is acknowledged to be effective in alleviating the traffic congestion and improving the efficiency of traffic system. This paper proposes an urban traffic congestion pricing model based on the consideration of transportation network efficiency and environment effects. First, the congestion pricing problem under multimode (i.e., car mode and bus mode) urban traffic network condition is investigated. Second, a traffic congestion pricing model based on bilevel programming is formulated for a dual-mode urban transportation network, in which the delay and emission of vehicles are considered. Third, an improved mathematical algorithm combining successive average method with the genetic algorithm is proposed to solve the bilevel programming problem. Finally, a numerical experiment based on a hypothetical network is performed to validate the proposed congestion pricing model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study compares two alternative ways of reducing congestion in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: construction of a northern bypass and improvement of the existing road network. Baton Rouge provides a very interesting case study because it is ranked the worst for congestion among medium sized urban areas in the nation. A travel demand model is used to estimate total travel for each alternative as well as for the status quo. Reduction in total travel resulting from implementation of each alternative over the status quo is evaluated in terms of the estimated change in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and vehicle hours traveled (VHT). The reduction in travel is compared with the estimated construction cost of each alternative. The analysis revealed that improving the existing road network was more effective in reducing traffic congestion and cost approximately one-third of the cost of the northern bypass. Applying tolls on the bypass did not improve the situation and further proved the superiority of the improved network in reducing traffic congestion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This case study compares the Auto Restricted Zone Policy (ARZ) with price changes for parking permits in Louisiana State University (LSU). We find that ARZ has a more significant effect on the reduction in purchase of parking permits than price increases, albeit with a lag. We also find that while driving continues to be the primary mode of choice, a significant number of students are willing to adopt alternative means of transportation, if facilities associated with them are improved. Since LSU is fairly representative, we believe that this case study contains lessons for other universities in the country facing traffic congestion issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates Pareto-improving congestion pricing and revenue refunding schemes in general transportation networks, which make every road user better off as compared with the situation without congestion pricing. We consider user heterogeneity in value of time (VOT) by adopting a multiclass user model with fixed origin–destination (OD) demands. We first prove that an OD and class-based Pareto-improving refunding scheme exists if and only if the total system monetary travel disutility is reduced. In view of the practical difficulty in identifying individual user’s VOT, we further investigate class-anonymous refunding schemes that give the same amount of refund to all user classes traveling between the same OD pair regardless of their VOTs. We establish a sufficient condition for the existence of such OD-specific but class-anonymous Pareto-improving refunding schemes, which needs information only on the average toll paid and average travel time for trips between each OD pair. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this paper is to present the basic premises of modelling road pricing with an engineering perspective at aggregate and disaggregate levels. An engineering perspective is different than economic perspective according to its analytical and deterministic approach. In this paper most of the economic notions are deliberately simplified, especially at the aggregate level, to obtain a simple, easy to understand, and easy to run model. The paper also includes facts about basic theories of road pricing and economic modelling. To demonstrate the modelling approaches presented in this paper, a simple numerical example is assessed. The results show that aggregate analysis provides understanding of the extent of the impacts whereas disaggregate analysis offers more detailed information. Furthermore, analysis at both levels has the potential to perform a combined modelling study as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planners, engineers and economists have introduced various demand management methods in an attempt to reduce the fast growing traffic congestion. The basic idea behind various demand management strategies is to force drivers to travel and use transportation facilities more during off-peak hours and less during peak hours, as well as to increase the usage of underutilized routes. In this paper, a new demand management concept - Auction-based Congestion Pricing - is proposed and modeled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exploratory study of the prospects for congestion pricing in four Latin American metropolitan areas where traffic bans currently exist - Santiago de Chile, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Bogotá - is presented. Through a historical analysis of the implementation process and experience of the traffic bans, along with a snowball-sampled survey of transportation experts in each city, three factors are found to be the most important to ensure favourable prospects for implementing congestion pricing in these cities: (1) widespread public information regarding the environmental and health risks of traffic congestion and resulting air pollution; (2) implementation of complementary policies such as public transport enhancements and increased parking fees in congested areas; and (3) development of a knowledge culture among politicians and experts through discourse on alternative road pricing policies based on systematic analysis. Among other pertinent issues discussed, the work shows that the equity concerns for low-income car drivers often cited in discussions on congestion pricing in developed countries are less applicable in the cases studied. A key concern is the lack of political will because it is people with relatively higher incomes and political influence who predominantly own and use cars in these four cities. The findings, though exploratory, are important because the potential of congestion pricing to manage the rapid pace of motorization in the developing world is not well studied. This paper presents an initial step towards studying the implementation of the policy in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Car parking spaces occupy significant areas land within cities and, in many areas, is often provided to motorists free of charge or at low cost. This can encourage car use which leads to traffic congestion and environmental degradation. In response, local authorities have increasingly used parking policies to address these issues. However, the effectiveness of these interventions have been limited by a lack of control over private non-residential parking spaces, including those provided by workplaces. In 2000 the UK Government enacted legislation which enabled local authorities in England to charge employers for the parking they provided for staff via a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL). Whilst this was expected to act as a catalyst for the introduction of other similar schemes throughout the UK, only one authority has introduced a WPL to date. This paper draws on the results of a national survey of local politicians and transport officers to ascertain the views of policy makers in the UK regarding transport-related issues, and the effectiveness and acceptability of various measures to reduce congestion, specifically the WPL. It explores the reasons why local authorities may consider introducing a WPL, examines issues with respect to the principle of the scheme, and discusses pre- and post-implementation concerns. The final section considers the likelihood of future schemes being introduced. It concludes that whilst there are a number of issues associated with WPL implementation, not least its perceived effectiveness and acceptability, further schemes can be expected in the UK in future. • A UK survey of local politicians and transport officers was conducted. • The majority of respondents supported the WPL principle that revenue should be hypothecated to fund local transport. • A third of respondents said employers should fund local transport while a quarter said employers should pay the full levy. • 70% of respondents were concerned or very concerned by the potential implications of a WPL. • Respondents with a positive view of parking as a TDM policy option were more likely to introduce a WPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on transport congestion and congestion charges. In London, England, the volume of traffic decreased by 15 percent after the implementation of tax in every vehicle that comes in the city since 2003. With this, New York City is also planning to charge vehicles in 2008, while Sydney, Australia and Shanghai, China are considering the issue. A study conducted by the Texas Transport Institute indicates that a regular commuter in the United States spends about 38 hours. However, applying taxes is not the sole remedy for problems in congestion, says civil engineer Philip Blythe. He adds that when carrying out charging schemes, a detailed layout of the city is needed.