

Incentives for Drivers Who Avoid Traffic Jams - mhb
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/science/experimental-campaigns-pay-drivers-to-avoid-rush-hour-traffic.html?_r=1&hpw

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jtchang
The quote in there from a transportation expert that the incentives probably
won't work and that we will need big disincentives is oblivious to human
psychology.

People love to win things. Even against all odds. Hell we are terrible at
estimating odds. I think a system based on small incentives will be a huge
win, especially in places like India.

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ericabiz
The article quotes a "transportation expert" who says: "'The incentives will
be far too small,' he wrote in an e-mail, adding: 'You really do need big
disincentives (big sticks). Little carrots won’t do the job of changing
drivers’ decisions.'"

This guy clearly wasn't paying attention to the fact that people stood in line
for hours at Denny's...in the snow!...to get a free breakfast one day:
[http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/03/news/companies/dennys_breakf...](http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/03/news/companies/dennys_breakfast.fortune/)

People do strange things when "free" is involved. I think this system has a
good shot at being successful.

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jeffdavis
The problem with incentives is that it's hard to tell that someone who avoided
the traffic jam would have (but for the incentive) driven during the traffic
jam.

In other words, let's say someone doesn't do the traditional 9-5, but works
nights, or from home, or doesn't work at all, or lives 3 states away, or
whatever. Do they get the incentive? If you bring them into the pool, then all
of a sudden the budget would need to be a lot bigger.

There are some roundabout ways to try to measure this, but it seems much
easier to just charge people for driving at peak hours. But that creates other
problems, like installing tracking devices in peoples' cars.

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acdha
> There are some roundabout ways to try to measure this, but it seems much
> easier to just charge people for driving at peak hours.

Agreed: there's no reason why they shouldn't say that e.g. key bridges,
interchanges, etc. are EZ-Pass only with a toll during rush hour. These days,
we should have the infrastructure to simply have a camera record license
plates and mail a monthly bill to you.

Around here (Washington DC) it'd be a huge win if all of the suburban
commuters stopped their commute at a subway / bus station rather than
attempting to drive the last 3 miles into the very congested downtown (my
walking speed is higher than the average traffic speed at 8am). Simply putting
a toll point at the bridge would be a great way to encourage that last step
not to be a single-occupant vehicle.

The other, major win would be to stop subsidizing parking below market rates:
city parking is usually cheaper than the commercial lots, which means a
significant amount of congestion is caused by drivers slowing looking around
for cheaper parking. Making that savings less dramatic would encourage people
to simply park at the first available space.

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wjamesg
A new toll road in NC (USA) has successfully implemented an all bill-by-mail
approach...I wonder if/when other existing tolls will catch on. An EZ-Pass-
like device offers slightly lower rates for regular commuters.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Expressway>

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xbryanx
HR people listen up. Partner with your cities to offer these same lotteries
for your staff to ride their bikes into work. Massive civic payoff with a
teensy bit of capital. Also might benefit your health insurance bottom lines.

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ef4
Gee, drivers hate the idea of having to actually pay a market rate for a
scarce resource? Who would have guessed.

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anamax
> Gee, drivers hate the idea of having to actually pay a market rate for a
> scarce resource?

Is it a market rate? Or, it it some penalty scheme, where those that get pay
significantly more than they did before for basically the same thing and
others are shut out even though they're still expected to pay capital costs?

Who could possibly object to that?

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malkia
Free food in the office - same story... What makes it even worse, it was
served because we are crunching

