The policy of charging drivers a fee that varies with the level of traffic on a congested roadway. Congestion pricing is designed to allocate roadway space, a scarce resource, in a more economically efficient manner. Users who pass a point are charged fees that may depend on time of day and their vehicles' characteristics but are largely or entirely independent of the distance they travel. Users who park in congested areas particularly during the most congested periods are charged fees larger than those normally associated with the facilities they use. A device that facilitates automatically deducting the cost of a transaction from a patron's prepaid account.
Some transponders operate as debit cards.
Demand-Side Policies Policies aimed at reducing congestion by reducing the demand for travel modes that impose much congestion per traveler served. DOT usually refers to the United States Department of Transportation, a cabinet-level department in the Executive Branch of the US government. Their specific responsibilities depend upon state mandate and law. Reimbursing employees for using transit, carpools, and vanpools are among the most popular ECO programs. It was initially included in the CAAA as a requirement for some non-attainment areas, but was later repealed.