From New York to California, small electronic devices collect tolls automatically, permitting drivers to bypass toll booths. On Thursday, a task force of Metro and the Oregon Department of Transportation will consider recommending a congestion pricing experiment for the Portland metropolitan region. The other projects would assess tolls for the entire distance selected and, one computer model estimates, create enormous time savings for drivers, with little construction cost. As classically envisioned, congestion pricing should be used to offset gas taxes. But that won't work in a small geographic area.
Local residents receive new capacity and congestion relief in exchange for paying tolls.
However, net time savings and economic benefits are smaller than assessing tolls on entire highways. To visualize this, imagine the 250,000 residents who would be most affected if tolls were placed on I-5. Returning the revenue per capita both promotes social equity and maintains the incentives to reduce rush hour traffic. Gerard C.S. Mildner is an assistant professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University.