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How Politics Even Affect Good Pricing Projects

How Politics Even Affect Good Pricing Projects. Eric N. Schreffler, ESTC TRB Int’l Symposium on Road Pricing Key Biscayne, Florida November 21, 2003. My Involvement in I-15 San Diego. Part of SDSU Evaluation Team Performed Institutional Assessment Interviewed 40 stakeholders

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How Politics Even Affect Good Pricing Projects

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  1. How Politics Even Affect Good Pricing Projects Eric N. Schreffler, ESTC TRB Int’l Symposium on Road Pricing Key Biscayne, Florida November 21, 2003

  2. My Involvement in I-15 San Diego • Part of SDSU Evaluation Team • Performed Institutional Assessment • Interviewed 40 stakeholders • Performed first Bus Study • Prepared evaluation plan for Managed Lanes Pricing Project

  3. I-15 FasTrak Pilot ProjectSan Diego, California • Uses 8 mi/14 km reversible HOV facility • SOVs pay US$0.50 – 4.00 per trip • Toll varies with volumes in HOV Lanes • FasTrak accounts debited monthly • Revenue for operations and transit • Continuing beyond federal pilot

  4. I-15 Express Lane/HOV Access

  5. Variable Toll Message Signs

  6. FASTRAK Transponder

  7. Enforcement by CHP

  8. Inland Breeze Bus Service

  9. Now for the Politics… • Solely my opinion!!! • Not SDSU, SANDAG, Caltrans, FHWA • Political champion enabled concept to become reality • Good marriage between concept and desires of champion, but…

  10. The Political Champion Began as mayor of town in corridor

  11. Mayor “Champion” Wanted monorail or other solution to relieve congestion on town road… or expansion of light rail line on 15

  12. Boardmember “Champion” Wanted new bus service in corridor to prove demand for high capacity transit Insisted on unique red buses

  13. Assemblyman “Champion” Assured revenue could only go to “transit capital and operating and HOV facility improvements” Caltrans imposed LOS threshold

  14. Findings from San Diego • Improved efficiency of HOV lanes • Carpooling has not suffered as a result • Pricing is an option, not imposition • Users love it; non-users don’t really care • FasTrak cross-subsidizes public transport

  15. What About the Red Buses? • About $1 M of $2 M in revenue to transit • Original route attracted reverse commuters • Did not attract solo drivers • Did not meet original expectations • Route split to add commuter runs • About 130,000 annual boardings

  16. How else could revenue be used? • User-side subsidy: - carpoolers - vanpoolers - bus riders - teleworkers • Marketing of HOV modes • Support county commuter express buses

  17. What do other politicos think? • Interviewed city and county elected officials representing corridor • Initially saw toll as unfair tax, but liked federal pilot funding • Knew that users were happy • Did not see pricing as part of long-term solution in corridor

  18. Could it have been better? • Widely viewed as U.S. success story • Did not fully test elasticity • Did improve efficiency of HOV lanes • Could have improved effectiveness by increasing HOV use • Red buses are good…could have been better

  19. More Information www.sandag.org/fastrak

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