Synergy effects of integrated packages of transport measures and pricing mechanisms to reduce congestion

Authors

C-H Johansson

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

10-2003

Subject Area

policy - congestion, economics - pricing

Abstract

This study is financed by the National Swedish Road Administration together with the research funding agency Vinnova and will be conducted by Transek AB during the spring 2003. The study aims at analyzing synergy effects of transport measures and pricing mechanisms for reducing congestion and environmental impact, and to achieve increased intermodality in the Stockholm city region. Pricing mechanisms that are included in the study are road pricing based on traveled distance, parking pricing, lower public transport fees, and subsidies for car pooling. Transport measures that are studied are park-and-ride solutions integrated with the public transport system, investments in public transport and cycling infrastructure, and investments to enhance comfort in public transport. The study is divided into two scenarios for the target year 2015, based on the predicted development of transport demand in the region. The first scenario consists of a package of road pricing, park-and-ride integrated with public transport, parking policies and pricing, and subsidies for car pooling. The second scenario is based on road pricing and the other measures in the first scenario, combined with measures to increase the perceived comfort in the public transport system. The scenarios are analyzed using the Swedish transport planning model Sampers. An important part of the study is to develop ways of integrating parameters as car pooling and investments in cycling infrastructure in model analyses using Sampers. Congestion in the road transport system and the constantly increasing car dependency causes as severe problems in the Stockholm region as in many other big European cities. Yet the effects of integrated packages of different transport measures like road pricing together with park-and-ride and investments in public transport are poorly investigated, in favor of strategies for road investments that are predicted to increase car dependency and decrease the share of travels with public transport rather that contribute to a solution of the congestion problem. The study will show the effects of road pricing combined with other measures. The focus of this study lies on what potential the analyzed measures and pricing mechanisms could have to reduce car dependence in a large city like Stockholm. Major road investments are therefore not included in the analyzed scenarios. The results of the study will also be of benefit for cities that are not as big and don’t suffer from the same problems with congestion as Stockholm but wish to reduce car traffic in the city centre by mobility management measures.

Comments

Permission to publish abstract given by AET.

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