Biden Administration Taking A Close Look At zone-based congestion pricing

[Mike]

Zone-based congestion pricing for vehicles entering downtown business districts has long been considered a way to reduce delays and stress for commuters. But the potential for cutting fuel consumption and vehicle emissions now dovetails with the Biden administration’s climate policy goals — at a time when states are looking for ways to refill infrastructure budget coffers decimated by the pandemic.

If the new administration decides to put its weight behind the concept, how will truckers fare?

How it works
Congestion pricing “is a way of harnessing the power of the market to reduce the waste associated with traffic congestion,” according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It usually involves a tolling system that uses pricing to disincentivize travel during peak periods. The idea is to shift some rush-hour highway travel to other transportation modes, such as transit rail or bus, or to off-peak periods.

The country’s most populous metropolitan regions are also home to the largest congestion costs per mile for truckers (see table below). FHWA contends that by removing as little as 5% of the vehicles from a congested roadway, “pricing enables the system to flow much more efficiently, allowing more [vehicles] to move through the same physical space.”

Read the full article at Freightwaves

 

[Mike]

If this ever becomes mainstream, all it is going to do is push increased costs onto the shippers and receivers. I can tell you that for me to go in during nighttime hours to a shipper or receiver is rarely ever going to happen, and when it does, it comes at a much higher cost.

On one hand, they want to push safety, then in the name of climate change, they want to totally disrupt truckers sleep patterns by keeping them up all hours of the night. It not only messes up sleep and health, it can completely destroy your ability to make money the following day because you are forced to break while most people are wanting to ship their products.

This has always been a failed idea and needs to remain "just an idea"

 

[Duck]

They already did this a decade ago with the Illinois tollway system.

It had absolutely no effect on traffic congestion patterns. All it did was raise tolls.

And that's all this will do.

 

[Mike]

They already did this a decade ago with the Illinois tollway system.

It had absolutely no effect on traffic congestion patterns. All it did was raise tolls.

And that's all this will do.

Are the tolls still different for day and night? I never pay any attention to my bill.

 

[Duck]

Are the tolls still different for day and night? I never pay any attention to my bill.

Yeah.

See attached PDF if you're interested.

 

[Rigjockey]

Yeah, most drivers would not go into many major cities during the night or sure I will deliver to Chicago in the middle of the night because I am tired of living.

I think they do this type of tolling in Europe and we all left Europe for a reason.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Yeah, most drivers would not go into many major cities during the night or sure I will deliver to Chicago in the middle of the night because I am tired of living.

I think they do this type of tolling in Europe and we all left Europe for a reason.

I left Europe because my immigrant visa expired.

 

[Duck]

I left Europe because my immigrant visa expired.

I'd ask my ancestor why he crossed the pond from England but he's been dead for 305 years.