Others suspected that they have progressively adapted to present congestion levels and do not notice the inconvenience. Nevertheless, traffic trends were troubling to most participants, and this concern about the future appears to be a prime motivating factor for investigating pricing alternatives. A small percentage of focus group participants felt they understood congestion pricing and the theory behind it. However, participants generally viewed congestion pricing in terms of the context of today's transportation situation, and it may be challenging for the general public to make long-term links between congestion pricing, mode shifts, and changes in land use. The many interviews and focus groups we conducted suggested that public opinion about tolls and congestion pricing can not be neatly packaged and predicted.
Timing is critical, as is the context in which information is presented.
How the revenues are used is critical to public acceptance. There must be well considered ways to deal with traffic and parking spillover. Income equity issues must be addressed. The public must have a high level of confidence in the technology. This study was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.