Overview
The research project shall develop support tools for decision makers in the field of Mobility Pricing, which focus on traffic engineering and safety impacts evoked by different systems. Thus, possible options can easily be compared with each other taking different boundary conditions into account.
Furthermore, the basic knowledge for the useful implementation of systems for Road Pricing is developed with special attention to traffic engineering aspects and the integration into comprehensive traffic management concepts.
The role of driver information and signalisation at toll collection facilities, for dynamic tolls (i. e. time or traffic dependant tolls) in particular, and possible changes of or amendments to the Swiss Signalisationsverordnung are part of the investigation. The state-of-the-art of Road Pricing systems and probable future developments can be considered in the project.
Funding
Results
Here are the crucial results:
Toll Plazas
The required space for toll plazas depends significantly on the systems used and the respective user share. Depending on the configuration and organisation capacities of 200- 500 veh/h for cash payment, 300-600 veh/h for card transaction, and up to 1.800 veh/h for ETC can be realised. Developed diagrams facilitate the estimation of the number of lanes required subject to the systems used.
Value Pricing
An analysis of Value Pricing considering travel times and capacities reveals that only in rare exceptions advantages can be expected. Regarding travel time and capacity as a random variable a three lane highway section has been compared to a two lane section with additional Value Lane. The results depend greatly on the input data (fundamental diagrams in the first place).
Use of On-Board Units
To enable the deployment of ETC, on board equipment has to be provided to the vehicles of the users. Only by using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and providing sufficient infrastructure and personnel this seems to be possible at the national border. The problems are highlighted by rough calculations for the border crossing at Basel/Weil.
Parking Facilities
Parking is covered in the Swiss and German standards and recommendations. The report summarises the gist.