Absent policy mechanisms and incentives to encourage people to drive less, traffic will continue to increase. In an autonomous future, pricing is a core policy lever. It would allow cities and regions to develop reliable funding sources for transit and reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles entering intensively used areas, giving cities an opportunity to repurpose public space for sustainable transportation and open space.

To prepare for AVs, cities should…

1. Start Developing Pricing Plans & Policies to Reduce Congestion
   Cities should take lessons from their peer cities around the world who have successfully implemented pricing policies. Cities and transit agencies should begin by empowering an independent body of diverse, local stakeholders to propose and evaluate pricing scenarios and funding streams to expand transit. The resulting public engagement can serve as a strong foundation for implementation.
2. Ensure Pricing Revenue is Dedicated to Improving Transit, Walking, and Biking
   The full benefits of congestion pricing can only be realized when transit service is a viable and attractive alternative to driving. While cities can already take steps to improve transit’s frequency and reliability, a commitment to using future revenue to expand transit options is essential to encourage and sustain mode shifts. Cities should also dedicate revenue towards investments in active transportation to support walking and biking.
3. Prioritize Equity When Pricing Mobility
   Pricing policies make hidden costs (e.g., congestion, loss of productivity, traffic fatalities, air pollution, carbon emissions) explicit. As cost burdens shift and change, policy makers must ensure that low-income people are not inequitably impacted. Using revenues from pricing to support transit improvement is the best way to ensure equitable outcomes for everyone. In the research and public input process, cities can explore options to expand access to transit to help reverse the economic impacts of structural racism in transportation planning.
4. Develop a Coalition of Support
   Support for congestion pricing must come from a broad coalition of local stakeholders, including the business community, grassroots activists, civic leaders, and elected officials. Building a broad base of support means undertaking a long-term, active strategy for community  engagement and identifying coalition partners to assist in the development and promotion of a large-scale pricing policy.
5. Use a Data-Driven Approach to Implement and Evaluate Any Pricing Scenario
   Accurate, comprehensive data about activity on city streets is critical to shaping and monitoring the impact of a mobility pricing program. Cities need robust data management policies and in-house expertise to determine where the highest levels of transportation demand exist and how different pricing tools can improve safety, congestion, and sustainability outcomes. Detailed data about regional and citywide travel behavior will inform successful implementation of pricing policies and their future impact.

Policies to Shape the Autonomous Age

Download the Blueprint:

• Part 1: Shaping the Autonomous Future Today (PDF)
• Part 2: Policies to Shape the Autonomous Age (PDF)
• Part 3: Design for the Autonomous Age (PDF)
• Part 4: References and Resources (PDF)