San Diego's interstate 15 congestion pricing project - Attitudinal, behavioral, and institutional issues

Attitudinal, behavioral, and institutional findings Are summarized from the evaluation of the Interstate 15 (I-15) congestion pricing project, a 3-year demonstration that allowed single-occupant vehicles to, use the existing I-15 high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, known as the I-15 express lanes, for a fee. The project was part of the FHWA Congestion Pricing Pilot Program and was managed by the San Diego Association of Governments. San Diego State University conducted an independent, multi-element evaluation of the project. FasTrak offered all travelers on I-15 a choice of whether to pay for the use of the lanes. FasTrak users saved time by using the express lanes. The most-cited reason to join FasTrak was the need for on-time arrival. FasTrak users and I-15 carpoolers continuously perceived traffic conditions in the I-15 express lanes as satisfactory. A. majority of FasTrak customers and an increasing fraction of I-15 carpoolers considered the project successful. Equity issues did not emerge despite the fact that FasTrak users came from the highest-income groups. Potential business interest in a program like FasTrak primarily hinges on the company's perceived dependency on a corridor in which the program is installed. Homeowners surveyed considered the I-15 pricing program as a secondary factor in their decision to relocate along the I-15 corridor. Many involved in implementing the project perceived that the project matched or exceeded their expectations. They stated that it proved that pricing was a technically and politically viable strategy. The media satisfactorily informed the public about the project.