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i x Preface In November 2003, approximately 160 peopleassembled in Key Biscayne, Florida, to participatein the International Symposium on Road Pricing. Fifteen countries were represented, and the exchange of information on policies and approaches adopted throughout the world was one of the symposiumâs most noteworthy features. The conference also bene- fited from the breadth of sectors represented; partici- pants and speakers included members of academia and researchers, public officials from all levels of govern- ment, consultants, interest group and association rep- resentatives, and individuals from financial and legal firms. The conference was a collaborative effort of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Florida Department of Transportation, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Federal Highway Administration. The symposium was conducted under the auspices of TRBâs parent organization, the National Research Council (NRC). In cooperation with OECD, a spe- cially appointed NRC committee developed the sym- posium to explore American and international applications of road pricing strategies in various gov- ernmental and socioeconomic settings. The partici- pants discussed the rationale and motivations for implementing pricing strategies, the use of pricing rev- enues, and project outcomes. Drawing on resource papers, presentations, and symposium discussions, the conference committee evaluated the current state of practice, assessed future directions and opportunities, and identified research and information needs. BEYOND CURBING GRIDLOCK This conference built on the foundation established in Curbing Gridlock: Peak-Period Fees to Relieve Traffic Congestion, a 1994 report developed by TRB in con- junction with NRCâs Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. That publication included recommendations on the potential role of mar- ket pricing principles as a tool for congestion manage- ment, guidelines for the assessment of impacts of congestion pricing experiments, and fruitful areas for further research, demonstration, or experimentation. The program for the Key Biscayne gathering was designed in recognition of the significant extent of exper- imentation with road pricing since 1994. While Curbing Gridlock and meetings leading up to its publication focused largely on the rationale for testing road pricing, the organizers of this conference sought to develop a pro- gram that would provide a detailed look at case studies of applications throughout the world and the results of research focused on specific pricing projects. To that end, the conference committee commissioned two resource papers, both of which appear in this document. One of the papers dealt with the evolution of pricing, with spe- cial attention to the state of the practice today. The other also focused on the state of the practice, with special attention to pricing initiatives outside the United States. By the time the conference was over, participants had learned from the speakers, resource papers, and each other about the successes realized to date and the challenges that accompanied specific projectsâ implementation. To round out the session, the conference committee invited top-level policy makers or advisers from around the globe to point out any continuing concerns and offer their visions for how road pricing will or ought to evolve in the coming decade. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This conference would not have been possible without the financial and institutional support of the Florida Depart- ment of Transportation. Special thanks are extended to Lowell Clary, Assistant Secretary of the department, for
his vision and assistance. Thanks also go to Jon Williams of TRB, who played a key role in developing the concept of the symposium, and to Martine Micozzi of OECD for facilitating that organizationâs involvement in this project. The committee acknowledges the work of many indi- viduals who contributed to the conference and the devel- opment of this report. Claire L. Felbinger, Transportation Policy and Management Specialist, worked with the com- mittee and coordinated with the OECD Working Group for the International Road Pricing Symposium (see box) to plan the conference, under the guidance of the com- mittee and the supervision of Mark Norman, TRBâs Director of Technical Activities. Suzanne Schneider, Asso- ciate Executive Director of TRB, managed the report review process. The committee also thanks Reginald Gillum, Meetings Coordinator, who coordinated registra- tion and the on-site logistics for the conference, and Mary Kissi, Senior Program Assistant, who provided adminis- trative support throughout the project. Thanks are extended to Miriam Roskin, Roskin Consulting, for her work in assembling and preparing this report under the guidance of the committee. The presentations, discussions, and summaries of the views expressed by conference speakers, panelists, and participants are intended to provide a record of the con- ference. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the conference planning committee, TRB, NRC, or the sponsors of the conference. This report has been reviewed in draft form by indi- viduals chosen for their diverse perspectives and techni- cal expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by NRCâs Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that assist the institution in making the pub- lished report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evi- dence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confi- dential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee thanks the following individuals for their review of this report: Thomas F. Barry, Post, Buck- ley, Schuh & Jernigan, Orlando, Florida; Shama Gamkhar, University of Texas at Austin; Jacquelyne D. Grimshaw, Center for Neighborhood Technologies, Chicago, Illinois; H. David Prior, Dellard Sphar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and William Stockton, Texas A&M University System, College Station. Although these reviewers provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the reportâs findings and conclusions, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by C. Michael Walton, University of Texas at Austin. Appointed by NRC, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsi- bility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution. x INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON ROAD PRICING OECD WORKING GROUP FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ROAD PRICING SYMPOSIUM Maurice Abeille, CERTU, France Edward Bunting, Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions, United Kingdom Patrick DeCorla-Souza, Federal Highway Administration, United States Mike Goodwin, Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions, United Kingdom Przemyslaw Gorgol, Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy, Poland Thierry Gouin, CETE, France Mark Harvey, Land and Environment Branch, Australia Kinji Hasegawa, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Japan Marja Heikkinen-Jarnola, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland Jari Kauppila, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland Marek Krawczyk, Ministry of Infrastructure, Poland Gunnar Lindberg, VTI, Sweden Anthony May, Institute of Transport Studies, University of Leeds, United Kingdom Maria Meiner, Road Directorate, Denmark Noriyoshi Nakamura, Traffic Planning Division, National Policy Agency, Japan James Odeck, Public Roads Administration, Norway József Palfalvi, Institute for Transport Sciences, Hungary Erna Schol, AVV Transport Research Center, Netherlands Jiri Sira, Transport Research Centre, Czech Republic Katalin Tánczos, Budapest University for Technology and Economics, Hungary Pascal Vincent, CERTU, France
