Sustainability

This paper presents a methodology for evaluating the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission
reductions that result from individuals participating in a carsharing organization. The
principle of carsharing is simple: individuals gain the benefits of private vehicle use without
the costs and responsibilities of ownership. Carsharing is most common in major urban areas
where transportation alternatives are easily accessible. Individuals typically access vehicles
by joining an organization that maintains a fleet of cars and light trucks in a network of
locations. Vehicles are most frequently deployed from lots located in neighborhoods, transit
stations, employment centers, and colleges/universities. An increasing body of empirical
evidence affirms that carsharing organizations provide numerous transportation, land use,
social, and environmental benefits, including reduced vehicle miles/kilometers traveled and
CO2 emissions.

University of California, Berkeley

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

Congestion charging has gained popularity as an effective mean to reduce pollution and to
improve mobility in large metropolitan areas. Congestion charging is already in use in
London (UK), Stockholm (Sweden) and Singapore. Several other cities around the world are
planning to introduce similar schemes. A number of different technologies and architectures
can be used to implement a congestion charging system. This paper gives suggestions as to
what to look for when designing a congestion and discusses issues related to congestion
charging schemes where the solution is based on electronic registration of vehicles.

ITS-Norway

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

In January 2006, a full-scale congestion charging system was introduced in
Stockholm, consisting of a time-differentiated cordon charge around the inner city.
The introduction was a trial, followed by a referendum in September 2006, where a
majority votes for keeping the congestion charges. The charges were re-introduced in
August 2007. This paper describes the process, the system design, the reduction in
traffic and congestion that resulted, and the change in public opinion from very
negative to largely positive.

Royal Institute of Technology

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

The concept of Congestion Charging or Pricing for Demand Management has been around
since at the 1960’s. Economists and academics have argued its merits and its flaws for over
eighty years. While the underpinnings of the economic theory have not dramatically changed,
the thought about how to implement price-based congestion mitigation has evolved in several
key features, including political strategies employed, technologies used, customer services
offered, and degree of alignment of prices charged with externalities imposed. The authors
analyze how the implementation of these concepts evolved from the first road user charging
implementation, the Singapore Area Licensing Scheme through schemes in London,
Stockholm, Milan and now Manchester. The emergence of new concepts in later systems
shows that each successive generation of implementation provided new and innovative
thinking. The analysis suggests that new generations will not simply copy the earlier
generations, but further evolve the practice of mitigating congestion.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York

This paper discusses a broad congestion pricing approach that may be implemented
in the near term, since technologies needed to implement it are already deployed extensively.
The approach involves converting existing freeways (all lanes) into premium-service freeflowing
highways that provide fast, frequent and inexpensive express bus service, while charging
all private vehicles a variable toll -- except for authorized buses and certified vanpool vehicles.
The toll could vary by level of demand and could be set high enough to guarantee that excessive
demand will not cause a breakdown of traffic flow. Public acceptance could be a major hurdle,
but could be achieved with careful system design along with a major public education and
outreach campaign.

Federal Highway Administration

Presented at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 16-20, 2008, New York, New York