Transforming a cordon toll ring to congestion charging scheme: The impacts in the case of Bergen two years on

Abstract

Abstract This paper assesses how transforming a cordon toll ring with flat toll rates to a congestion charging scheme works in achieving its intended objectives. The contribution to the literature on transportation is that few studies have examined how such transformations fulfill their main policy objectives. We use the City of Bergen in Norway as a case study to infer the extent to which policy objectives were achieved two years later. In early 2016, the city council transformed its flat-rate cordon toll ring into a congestion charging scheme. It entailed an increase in toll rates during rush hour and a decrease during non-rush hour periods. The primary aim was to reduce traffic levels entering the city center during rush hour and improve the inner city's air quality. A secondary objective was to maintain income at the current level to complete the preplanned and already sanctioned investment projects. We use traffic counts, NO2 and PM10 emission measurements, and annual toll income to evaluate how the congestion scheme performed two years after implementation. We find that (i) traffic levels during rush hour and non-rush hour periods were reduced by 12% and 2%, respectively, giving a grand reduction of 6%; (ii) the emissions in NO2 and PM10 were reduced by 6.3% and 11%, respectively; (iii) the toll income dropped by 13%, meaning that preplanned investments would not be implemented on time; and (iv) the use of other modes of transportation increased. Overall, congestion charging worked according to transportation economists' longstanding suggestions.