Alternative congestion pricing schedules

It is important that alternative congestion pricing schedules are compared with respect to a broad spectrum of their effects. This paper uses an equilibrium simulation model of peak-period commuting along an urban highway to compare quantitatively both positive and normative effects of six congestion pricing schedules. Three of these schedules have been investigated qualitatively in the literature; the others are new. The results indicate that flat tolls are favored over smoothly varying tolls for revenue generation or increase in vehicle occupancy, but are disfavored for efficiency maximization, increase in consumer surplus, or reduction in congestion delays. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: R4.