Congestion pricing is the phrase of the minute in New York. Behind congestion pricing are the claims of many that new technologies enable this elusive management tool to finally be applied. But there is much analysis and application that go from real time data collection to time of day or capacity based pricing. This talk will highlight developments and tools in technology, methodology and operational concepts for an integrated management approach to our road networks. The objectives for developing and applying these tools are to reduce congestion and improve environmental quality. These developments will allow our existing infrastructure to deliver significantly higher throughput than under previously designed operations. The procedures and processes for effective deployment of these new technologies have, to date, been inadequate, and suffer from lack of corresponding decision technologies .

The presentation will propose effective algorithms based on predictions derived from sensors and data from current conditions. The seminar makes the case for the role of pricing and real-time information, in conjunction with advanced traffic control measures, in the management of transportation networks and delivery of transportation services. It discusses methodological implications and approaches for both off-line evaluation of these strategies as well as real-time operational decision-making in this context. Developments in dynamic network modeling tools will be discussed, with particular focus on new methods to evaluate the impact of congestion pricing in networks with heterogeneous users. Models of user route choice and trip timing decisions in response to pricing, information and travel time reliability are incorporated in simulation-based dynamic assignment algorithms. The role of pricing as a real-time management tool, in conjunction with information supply will be discussed, along with strategies for anticipatory pricing in conjunction with online network state prediction tools.