CORDIS Archive

PROJECT FINANCING

• ASFA (France)
  
• The UK Department of Transport which is financing 50% of the work of the Transport Research Laboratory in the EUROTOLL Project

OTHER SPONSORS

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

Project Co-ordinator:

ISIS S.A. (Lyon, France)

Partners:

Concessioni e Costruzioni Autostrade S.p.A. (Florence, Italy)
Dr. Max Herry (Vienna, Austria)
Heusch/Boesefeldt GmbH (Aachen, Germany)
Laboratoire d'Economie des Transports (Lyon, France)
Service d'Etudes Techniques des Routes et Autoroutes (Paris, France)
Trends Research n.p.c. (Athens, Greece)
Transport Research Laboratory (Berkshire, The United Kingdom)
Association des Sociétés Françaises d'Autoroutes (Paris, France)
Consorzio Intercomunale dell'Area Fiorentina (Florence, Italy)
Howard Humphreys and Partners Ltd. (Surrey, The United Kingdom)
Universität zu Köln (Cologne, Germany)
University of Patras (Rion-Patra, Greece)

0. Partnership

1.Objectives

2.Technical Description

3.Results and Conclusions

4.Collaboration Sought

5.Exploitation and Dissemination Plans

6.Names and Addresses of the Co-ordinator and all Partners Involved

0. PARTNERSHIP

ISIS S.A. (Lyon, France)
Concessioni e Costruzioni Autostrade S.p.A. (Florence, Italy)
Dr. Max Herry (Vienna, Austria)
Heusch/Boesefeldt GmbH (Aachen, Germany)
Laboratoire d'Economie des Transports (Lyon, France)
Service d'Etudes Techniques des Routes et Autoroutes (Paris, France)
Trends Research n.p.c. (Athens, Greece)
Transport Research Laboratory (Berkshire, The United Kingdom)
Association des Sociétés Françaises d'Autoroutes (Paris, France)
Consorzio Intercomunale dell'Area Fiorentina (Florence, Italy)
Howard Humphreys and Partners Ltd. (Surrey, The United Kingdom)
Universität zu Köln (Cologne, Germany)
University of Patras (Rion-Patra, Greece)

1. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

EUROTOLL is a reference project in Directorate General for Transport (DG VII) in the field of road pricing within the European Union 4th Framework Programme for Transport Research and Development. The aim is to undertake an in-depth investigation into the effects of road pricing and toll strategies on road mobility and transportation factors.

The project is providing the transport research community, authorities and policy makers with a better understanding of road mobility for passenger (user reactions) and freight, strategic pricing issues (raise finance, demand management, internalisation of external costs) and assessment methodologies.

2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The project uses an innovative approach, combining conceptual and practical research through three main stages:

• define the concepts re tolling strategies, user reactions,
• perform the case studies and operate the concepts,
• learn from the case studies and consolidate the conceptual research.

  As a member of the Joint Scientific Committee which includes also the PETS, QUITS, TRENEN II and TRANSPRICE projects, EUROTOLL contributes to the consolidation of research work on road pricing issues and cross-fertilisation by information exchanges.

  EUROTOLL is based on ten interurban/urban case studies in France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the United Kingdom, and involves network operators, engineering consulting companies and universities.

  The project was broadly speaking, organised around four issues:

• an overview of TDM strategies, their design and implementation in EUROTOLL case studies, the analysis of conditions of efficiency and assessment methodology;

• the expected demand reactions with regard to TDM strategies as implemented in EUROTOLL case studies;

• the effects of integration of information and pricing in TDM in order to influence user behaviour;

• the policy issues of tolling strategies regarding reduction of external effects, congestion management, user acceptance and social acceptability.

  Strategies for demand management in EUROTOLL case studies

  TDM strategies aiming at a temporal or spatial redistribution of road transport demand have been reviewed, and each case has been replaced in a common analytical framework developed during the project. This framework allowed to put the 10 case studies at the same level.

  The process by which transport policy goals could be translated in specific transport sub-goals and objectives and hence a TDM strategy designed has also been shown. The way these transport policy sub-goals and objectives were implemented in EUROTOLL case studies has been described. Particular attention has been given to the way of improving the efficiency of TDM strategies. The evaluation of the potential transfer implies to have a clear view of who are the winners and the losers after the implementation of the TDM scheme. Consequently, the items to be addressed in the conception of TDM strategies, were listed with respect to each EUROTOLL case study experience. Finally an overview of assessment process, involving modelling and CBA evaluation was done.

  Demand reactions with regard to TDM strategies

  EUROTOLL has provided a detailed view on road user reactions to particular TDM measures. The impacts can either be positive or negative. They were assessed by the means of user surveys and accounting for the real case studies (7 in EUROTOLL) and by modelling and/or trial analysis for the other case studies. An additional approach concerning toll fee acceptance has been developed which allowed to assess the process of re-transference (difference between initial and final acceptance).

  Integration of information and pricing and policy issues

  The technical approach used concerning the strategies to integrate pricing measures and transport information (which are capable to reinforce the positive effects of both) is based on the feedback of conceptual research upon case study results, as well as for policy issues.

  3. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

  If we consider the 4 main issues of EUROTOLL, the results and the conclusions are the following.

  Strategies for demand management in EUROTOLL case studies

  The main result is that the ERU concept seems not adapted if it is considered alone. It has been shown that in order to facilitate the switching of road users out of congested situations, the more convenient alternatives of incentives should be given. This is why the concept of Targeted Road Users was developed. In order to free space in congested situations, a TDM set of measures is defined which may include tolling, and this TDM strategy is targeted towards a set of road users who in principle have the possibility to modify their behaviour (route, time schedule, etc.). Some users react by shifting while other react by staying (and paying if toll is used). By their behaviour the latter implicitly define themselves as ERU (Essential Road Users), while the former are Targeted Road Users (TRU). The definition of TRU depends on the specific TDM measure implemented. TRU are the users that the transport authority or operator would like to shift in time, route or mode of travel, given the incentive of TDM measure: they then get net benefit for themselves or even if they lose, for the society. Secondly the evaluation of the above potential transfer implies to have a clear view of who are the winners and the losers after the implementation of the TDM scheme. These classes of users can be assessed by the means of the surplus theory.

  Demand reactions with regard to TDM strategies

  To get a general conclusion about road user behaviour, the results are the following:

• If allowed by the pricing scheme, the most favoured reaction patterns are trip-retiming and route choice.

• Regarding re-timing of trips, if the scheme contains a time-related component, the patterns normally is successful (see e. g. Stuttgart, A1, A10/A11 case studies): of course the success depends on the possibilities of shifting, i.e. more or less short peak-pricing periods. Similar effects may result from building trip chains.

• Deeply linked to route choice, the impact of TDM on the capacity usage of road infrastructure is quite successful, too. Only one exception has to be noticed: In case of limitation to one single road category, there may be worsening effects initiated through by-passing. · Concerning modal shift, TDM schemes partially show less impacts than mentioned before. Most intensive reactions can be expected from corridor and network pricing in passenger transport. The amount of this is especially influenced by the share of modes at the starting point (see results of Stuttgart and Leicester case studies).

• In general, freight transport is expected to react with more rigidity to TDM strategies.

• Due to the EUROTOLL focus on short-term, our case studies have not studied or detected changes of destination.

• The importance of one reaction patterns in comparison to others varies in time. In the medium and long run other user reactions will become more effective than if they are restricted to a short period.

  Integration of information and pricing and policy issues

  In future pricing strategies the following lessons from EUROTOLL experiences should be considered:

• A minimum of information is necessary to understand the pricing scheme and to look for alternative travel possibilities.
• The objective of a measure has to be disseminated.
• During a trip more frequent road users of an area, route etc. need less information to react to changed conditions (tariff, transport situation) than occasional users.
• In short-term periods the users with repeated trip purposes change their user behaviour very quickly.
• Information strategies have to be designed as a combination of pre- and on-trip information.
• Alternatives and the advantages of alternatives have to be demonstrated.

  Strategies to integrate pricing measures and transport information are capable to reinforce the positive effects of both. Integration strategies should not be limited to providing pricing information via modern information technologies (telematics). Integration strategies rather aim at an increasing awareness of pricing measures and improvements concerning alternatives. In this sense integration presupposes the integration of transport mode overlapping information.

  How deeply pricing and information systems are integrated depends on different parameters; network (urban/interurban); context (network with/without congestion, different kinds of congestion); TDM scheme chosen to solve the problems; users addressed with the TDM scheme; expected reactions; role of information.

  In networks without traffic problems information focuses on safety and comfort function. In congested networks information has to support the TDM measure by explaining the pricing scheme, the reasons and possible alternatives to aim at a high acceptance of the measure and to provide incentives to react. In urban road networks information about alternative modes becomes highly important. The advantages of the alternative mode concerning price and travel time are an important element of integrated pricing strategies.

  Policy issues

  The link between EUROTOLL and the pricing policy orientation in Europe (White Paper), was made. The main issue was to understand, with respect to the work carried out in case studies, how road pricing could be a way towards the implementation of Social Marginal Cost Principle (SMCP), and if a possible convergence between financing and pricing logic (SMCP) exists. The current European pricing system seems to be a good basis to take into account the overall logic recommended by the EC White Paper. This system can lead to a true transformation in the long run, towards a sustainable development of car use. For this, pricing road use on existing "free" roads, for infrastructure development and for congestion management must be distinguished. This is why, to cover this scope of possibilities, a "trinomial road pricing" has been proposed, combining simultaneously various methods of pricing in order to take into account the various types of costs:

  1. a fixed component in the form of national or wide area vignette,

  2. a component varying with the fuel consumption, thanks to the fuel taxes.

  3. a component varying with the type of network used, and which could take the form, according to cases, of tolls, possibly modulated, or of local vignettes at the beginning.

  4. COLLABORATION SOUGHT

  Academic exploitation

  A search will be made for suitable collaborators as follows:

• Research organisations overseas (i.e. outside EU) who have an interest in TDM strategies based on pricing. In particular, research organisations in the United States would be particularly appropriate.
• Research organisations involved in pricing and financing of road infrastructures,.
• Research organisations involved in transportation patterns and in combining information and pricing strategies.

  Operators / cities

  Effort will be put into finding suitable partnerships with:

• Operators / cities who are planning to develop TDM strategies on their network.
• Operators / cities who developed a TDM strategy and who need to assess its impacts and its efficiency.

  5. EXPLOITATION AND DISSEMINATION PLANS

  As far as the exploitation and dissemination of EUROTOLL results are concerned, the objectives and gains expected by the partners of the EUROTOLL Consortium can be summarised as follows:
  

• Increased knowledge of new research fields and ideas for further research issues.
• Local-, national-, European- and world-wide information and communication to authorities, transport-related organisations (e.g. operators), as well as the research community on what happens in Europe in the road pricing domain
• Possibilities for training sessions on the issues investigated within EUROTOLL
• Development of new relations/partnerships, which allow among others further common research as for example research in the field of the fifth framework programme
• Enhanced image of the participating organisations

  Several strategies can be distinguished for the exploitation and dissemination of results:

• Information and communication to non-informed public
  
  - EUROTOLL WEB page
  . Information on EUROTOLL and its Deliverables as well as references to EUTOTOLL WEB site on CORDIS on other WEB sites (e.g. WEB pages of partners' organisations), including EUROTOLL brochure .
  - Re-edition of EUROTOLL Brochure
• Information and communication to well-informed public (experts)
  - Papers (these should be in relation with public EUROTOLL documents, and an inventory on the papers will be established by the co-ordinator), e.g.
  . Contribution to international journal on transportation
  . Papers on drawings, lessons, learnings from EUROTOLL in the TRB.
  - Particular dissemination activities planned by project partners:.
  . ASFA: dissemination based on French documents, maybe a 1 day-seminar (in French) on the conclusions of the project.
  . SETRA: dissemination to the technical centres of the French Ministry of Transport.
• Extension of potential public
  - Change availability (from confidential/restricted to public) of some important reports/ part of reports, as for example the core report of Deliverable no. R11/I "Results of Case Studies". This necessitates the agreement of the project partners, at least those involved in the production of the report.
  - Possibility for partners to translate public Deliverables into their language, mentioning at the beginning of the report that it is a translation from a EUROTOLL Project Deliverable.
• Specific strategy regarding EC research
  - Actions within the Joint Scientific Committee (EUROTOLL, PETS, QUITS, TRENEN II, Transprice):
  . EUROTOLL final report as input to JSC final report
  - CAPRI - Concerted Action on Transport Pricing research Integration
  . CAPRI is closely linked to the JSC, the project participants are the co-ordinators of the 5 projects of the JSC
  . Involvement of ISIS in work on interurban areas, but also urban areas
  6. NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF THE COORDINATOR AND ALL PARTNERS INVOLVED
  
  

  Co-ordinator

  Full Partners

  ISIS 4, rue des Cuirassiers F-69428 LYON Cedex 03 France Associate Partners Association des Sociétés Françaises d'Autoroutes (ASFA) 41 bis, avenue Bosquet F-75007 Paris France Consorzio Intercomunale dell'Area Fiorentina (ATAF) Via Pratese, 105 I - 50145 Firenze Italy Howard Humphreys and Partners Ldt. (HH) 1st floor, Hill Park Court Springfield Drive, Leatherhead UK-Surrey KT22 7NL The United Kingdom Universität zu Köln (UoC) Universitätsstr. 22 D-50923 Köln Germany University of Patras (UoP) Department of Operations Research & Management GR-26500 Rion-Patra Greece

  Concessioni e Costruzioni Autostrade S.p.A (Autostrade) Limite Campi Bisenzio C.P. 2310 I - 50100 Firenze Italy Dr. Max Herry (Herry) Argentinierstr. 21 A-1040 Wien Austria Heusch/Boesefeldt GmbH (H/B) Liebigstr. 20 D-52070 Aachen Germany Laboratoire d'Economie des Transports (LET) 14, Avenue Berthelot F-69363 Lyon Cedex 07 France Service d'Etudes Techniques des Routes et Autoroutes (SETRA) 46, Avenue Aristide Briand B.P. 100 F-92223 Bagneux Cedex France Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) Old Wokingham Road, Crownthorn UK-Berkshire RG45 6AU The United Kingdom Trends Research n.p.c. (Trends) 9, Kondylaki st GR-11141 Athens Greece