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Old 08-03-2014, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Homeless
404 posts, read 527,342 times
Reputation: 392

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graduated tolls based on time of day. all implemented using RFID. incentivize ppl to travel at off hours. for example:
12am-5am ....free
5am-6am....$1
6am-9am....$3
9am-10am...$1
10am-2pm....free
2pm-3pm...$1
3pm-6pm....$3
6pm-7pm....$1
7pm-12pm...free

whack ppl especially hard using the sagamore & Bourne. make the toll $20 at peak hours.

I already know the criticisms....its a flat tax that punishes the poor. so make it rebate-able if you have a job & make below a threshold.

something has to be done about gridlock...why do ppl just accept it as OK and sit back & do nothing!!???
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Old 08-03-2014, 07:54 PM
 
1,166 posts, read 1,382,130 times
Reputation: 2181


Most people on the roads don't really have a choice in what time they're on the road in order to get to their jobs on time, especially if they have families. It won't "incentivize" people to travel during off peak hours when it's utterly impractical to do so. It will just **** people off that they're having to pay more tolls to travel during the times they do to get to their jobs because their employees expect them there between certain hours.
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Old 08-03-2014, 07:59 PM
 
Location: Westwood, MA
5,037 posts, read 6,933,984 times
Reputation: 5961
Quote:
Originally Posted by traffic_lover View Post
graduated tolls based on time of day. all implemented using RFID. incentivize ppl to travel at off hours. for example:
12am-5am ....free
5am-6am....$1
6am-9am....$3
9am-10am...$1
10am-2pm....free
2pm-3pm...$1
3pm-6pm....$3
6pm-7pm....$1
7pm-12pm...free

whack ppl especially hard using the sagamore & Bourne. make the toll $20 at peak hours.

I already know the criticisms....its a flat tax that punishes the poor. so make it rebate-able if you have a job & make below a threshold.

something has to be done about gridlock...why do ppl just accept it as OK and sit back & do nothing!!???
I'm not sure I want to be tracked any more than I already am. Where would these tolls be collected? Interstates? All roads? What would happen if there were an accident that kept you on the road past 6 AM? Would you get dinged for that?

And isn't awful traffic already incentive enough for people to leave early? It's certainly incentive enough to keep me on Commuter Rail.
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Old 08-03-2014, 09:04 PM
 
Location: 42°22'55.2"N 71°24'46.8"W
4,848 posts, read 11,823,059 times
Reputation: 2962
NYC already does this. They have peak and off-peak rates for most (all?) bridges heading into the city. They also have discounted rates for carpools and hybrid vehicles. No need for RFID. You tell people to sign up for EZ pass. If they don't, then you charge them a $5 surcharge for going through the toll without one. Cameras snap a picture of every license plate that goes thru the toll system and a bill is sent to the address the car is registered to if they don't have an EZ pass. MA is going this route in 3 years. I wouldn't be surprised if they started a peak/off-peak rate scheme soon after open road tolling is implemented.
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Old 08-03-2014, 09:38 PM
 
9,120 posts, read 6,334,220 times
Reputation: 12344
Quote:
Originally Posted by traffic_lover View Post
graduated tolls based on time of day. all implemented using RFID. incentivize ppl to travel at off hours. for example:
12am-5am ....free
5am-6am....$1
6am-9am....$3
9am-10am...$1
10am-2pm....free
2pm-3pm...$1
3pm-6pm....$3
6pm-7pm....$1
7pm-12pm...free

whack ppl especially hard using the sagamore & Bourne. make the toll $20 at peak hours.

I already know the criticisms....its a flat tax that punishes the poor. so make it rebate-able if you have a job & make below a threshold.

something has to be done about gridlock...why do ppl just accept it as OK and sit back & do nothing!!???

What about employers who force their employees to work hours that dictate they commute during the peak times? I believe gridlock stems from our society continuing to operate under this archaic work schedule. If it were up to me I would always travel outside the peak times but my work schedule won't allow it.
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Old 08-04-2014, 03:56 AM
 
Location: Homeless
404 posts, read 527,342 times
Reputation: 392
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozgal View Post


Most people on the roads don't really have a choice in what time they're on the road in order to get to their jobs on time, especially if they have families. It won't "incentivize" people to travel during off peak hours when it's utterly impractical to do so. It will just **** people off that they're having to pay more tolls to travel during the times they do to get to their jobs because their employees expect them there between certain hours.
lets say 90% of people have no choice, but 10% get off road during peak. this makes a HUGE difference.
also, how does your premise explain why traffic is worst during summer & around holidays? its not the everyday workers, its the added volume of non-commuter traffic.
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Old 08-04-2014, 03:59 AM
 
Location: Homeless
404 posts, read 527,342 times
Reputation: 392
Quote:
Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan View Post
What about employers who force their employees to work hours that dictate they commute during the peak times? I believe gridlock stems from our society continuing to operate under this archaic work schedule. If it were up to me I would always travel outside the peak times but my work schedule won't allow it.
AGREED. society norms must change. and often a nudge is required. would this enable that change? I'm willing to hear better ideas.
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Old 08-04-2014, 04:08 AM
 
Location: Homeless
404 posts, read 527,342 times
Reputation: 392
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parsec View Post
NYC already does this. They have peak and off-peak rates for most (all?) bridges heading into the city. They also have discounted rates for carpools and hybrid vehicles. No need for RFID. You tell people to sign up for EZ pass. If they don't, then you charge them a $5 surcharge for going through the toll without one. Cameras snap a picture of every license plate that goes thru the toll system and a bill is sent to the address the car is registered to if they don't have an EZ pass. MA is going this route in 3 years. I wouldn't be surprised if they started a peak/off-peak rate scheme soon after open road tolling is implemented.
RIGHT ON!! I want to take it even more high tech than this and make the tolls real-time adjustable to the level of traffic.
remember, if the system is doing its job, you might be paying $5 to travel at 5pm...but instead of your drive taking 90mins, it takes 30. don't think of it as a penalty toll. think of it as paying to have no traffic.
as a side benefit, MA road infrastructure will benefit from some funding. maybe even eliminate arcane gasoline tax.
also, design fee structure so that semi trailers must travel off peak only.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:05 AM
 
Location: On the Rails in Northern NJ
12,380 posts, read 26,868,204 times
Reputation: 4581
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parsec View Post
NYC already does this. They have peak and off-peak rates for most (all?) bridges heading into the city. They also have discounted rates for carpools and hybrid vehicles. No need for RFID. You tell people to sign up for EZ pass. If they don't, then you charge them a $5 surcharge for going through the toll without one. Cameras snap a picture of every license plate that goes thru the toll system and a bill is sent to the address the car is registered to if they don't have an EZ pass. MA is going this route in 3 years. I wouldn't be surprised if they started a peak/off-peak rate scheme soon after open road tolling is implemented.
We do not have congestion pricing yet , it has been purposed to fund the MTA. We have higher tolls for cash payments vs Electronic payments.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:35 AM
 
Location: MA
675 posts, read 1,702,627 times
Reputation: 929
Quote:
Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan View Post
What about employers who force their employees to work hours that dictate they commute during the peak times? I believe gridlock stems from our society continuing to operate under this archaic work schedule. If it were up to me I would always travel outside the peak times but my work schedule won't allow it.
Agreed. I know it's hard to get some stuff done when you don't have everyone in the office but I've never understood why people who don't work in customer-facing roles are at some companies expected to be in the office during rigid "business hours", especially if they are the types of employees that are tacitly expected to work long outside the business hours. A lot of companies get this but some still ding their employees for not being there at 8:30 AM on the dot even if they work til 9 PM every night.

But that's a digression, many people do need to work certain hours either because they're customer facing or because their companies mandate it or because they work certain shifts. Nurses often have to work 12 hour stretches on their feet, should they really have to choose between paying more in tolls and showing up for an already long shift several hours early?

Also regardless of work hours, daycare hours are VERY strict. Most don't open before 7 and woe to the person who doesn't pick up their child by 6pm.
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