Traffic in the region is expected to grow by 60 percent over the next 30 years, and even though we have comprehensive plans that guide investments, we're way behind in delivering on the combination of roads and transit required to meet the need. Some people think there's no way in the world that we'll ever come up with all the money to keep up with extensive transportation needs in our region. So in the long-term we will need new ideas and new solutions that can help us make the most out of the facilities and services we have.

The Traffic Choices Study is a federally funded pilot that tested new ways to combat traffic congestion and fund transportation. Through the study, our region has developed a better understanding of the policy and technical issues associated with road pricing, and the results will inform updates to the region's plans and influence decisions about our future.

How the study worked

Representative drivers from throughout the region participated in the 18-month study. Four hundred and fifty vehicles from over 275 households were outfitted with an in-vehicle (taxi-like) metering device. The Traffic Choices Meter identified a vehicle's location and displayed the cost to use each road at the time it was approached. The results represent the value placed on road access by a random sample of diverse volunteer participants using key roads throughout the Puget Sound region.

A Partnership

The study was funded by a grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and led by the Puget Sound Regional Council along with support from our partner, the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The Puget Sound Regional Council is the regional transportation, economic and growth planning agency for the central Puget Sound region of Washington state.

The Puget Sound Regional Council received assistance from a team of experts in the fields of economic analysis, transportation analysis and engineering, and public involvement.

ECONorthwest was the lead on project management, research design, technology selection, and data preparation and analysis. Their team included PB (technology selection and tariff modeling) and PRR (recruitment, participant management, survey administration).

Siemens provided the tolling system technology, systems integration and toll system operations. Their team included CarToys (installation of in-vehicle equipment) and Cingular (wireless communications).

The results

The primary aims of the Traffic Choices Study were to (1) accurately describe the behavioral response to the congestion-based tolling of roadways, (2) better understand issues of policy related to the implementation of road tolling, and (3) test an integrated system of technical solutions to the problem of tolling a large network of roads without installing substantial physical hardware on the roadside. The study has met these goals and has begun to widely distribute the findings from the research. It is our hope that project results will inform discussions about how to manage congestion and fund transportation improvements in the future.

For more information, contact Matthew Kitchen at 206-464-6196 or mkitchen@psrc.org.