I constanly site this during conversations with friends about traffic. Looks just about right.
1. Road pricing trial results in the Netherlands.
Consistent with the themes in this morning’s transportation forum, road pricing is a growing tool being used by cities and states around the world to change behaviors drivers and shift the balance of transportation from car-dependent to a more multi-modal form system. Six month ago, IBM and NXP Semiconductors began a pilot in Eindhoven to implement variable road pricing based on traffic demand, time of day and type of car (i.e., size + environmental impact of vehicle). Following are some insights from the pilot:
- * Seventy percent of drivers improved their driving behavior by avoiding rush-hour traffic and using highways instead of local roads.
- * On average, these drivers in the trial saw an improvement of more than 16 percent in average cost per kilometer.
- * A clear system of incentives is critical to changing driving behavior.
- * Instant feedback provided via an On-Board Unit display on the price of the road chosen and total charges for the trip is essential to maximizing the change in behavior.
via Quick notes: Road pricing in the Netherlands & using math to reduce traffic | A Smarter Planet Blog.