The Virginia Department of Transportation is studying the use of congestion pricing as a tool to get drivers off the road during rush hour, reports the Associated Press. The study would build upon data developed by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
The commission’s traffic engineers have found that between 3.5 million and 4 million trips are made each day by Hampton Roads drivers, with about a quarter of them during the rush hours. About 10 percent of all morning rush-hour vehicles are occupied by people on nonessential trips, such as shopping or personal errands, and that figure rises to almost 30 percent in the afternoon, according to the engineers.
Delaying drivers by as little as 15 minutes or convincing them to choose a non-interstate route could significantly lower interstate congestion levels and would be cheaper than new construction, said Dwight L. Farmer, deputy executive director of the commission.
It makes total sense. But persuading motorists that they aren’t getting ripped off is another matter entirely.
