What if by paying a little bit, you could save a lot? Nobody likes traffic congestion. The challenge with reducing congestion by adding lanes is that it usually entices people to travel more, which in turn hastens the return of congestion. Congestion pricing is the idea of charging a modest toll on certain lanes only at congested times of day. The toll is meant to be just enough to encourage just enough people to commute at another time of day, carpool or take transit so that the road stays free from congestion. While tolling has its critics, the benefit of congestion pricing is twofold.

1. Those who choose to pay benefit by saving time, which is often more valuable than the out-of-pocket price.

2. Those who choose not to pay have a broader set of choices that include travelling at less congested times of day, or utilizing bicycling or transit facilities that can be improved due to increased utilization.

Congestion pricing is generally established to improve life for the travelling public, and not as a tool to generate revenue.