On Sunday, April 22, 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the City’s intention to implement a congestion charging pilot program as part of its larger planning effort, PlaNYC 2030. Congestion charging is central to accomplishing some of the main goals of the plan, including reduced travel times, increased transportation capacity, improved air quality and public health, lowered greenhouse gas emissions, and increased funding for transit maintenance and expansion.
The City’s plan is to use a combination of E-ZPass and cameras to charge drivers entering Manhattan south of 86th Street. As the City pursues State legislation to enable the City to implement congestion charging, many important details, including which technology is used, will be determined. This resource report examines a variety of technologies that New York City might use for congestion charging, now and in the future, including:
Automatic Number Plate Recognition, the camera based system used in London
E-ZPass Radio Frequency Identification, the same electronic tolling system familiar to drivers in the NY-NJ-CT region
Next Generation Radio Frequency Identification, which includes some improvements to EZPass available now and others that will emerge in the future
Geographic Positioning Systems, satellite technology for positioning, plus charging technology
Mesh Networking, wireless networks of vehicles and roadside nodes
The technologies are analyzed according to a set of criteria that encompasses customer experience; privacy and anonymity; costs, administration and enforcement; operations, interoperability and flexibility; and physical presence. The analysis also includes a close look at the examples of congestion charging in London and Stockholm. It concludes with a set of recommendations.
The primary finding is that E-ZPass technology should be used for congestion charging in New York City, however by itself it is insufficient in its current form. Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to combine E-ZPass and license plate recognition may be the best combination currently available, but system enhancement should be examined and encouraged. For example, some “next generation” features not currently used in this region – but available elsewhere – include sticker tags, cash payment accommodation, and single pole structures to replace gantries (as shown on the cover of this report). The other technologies examined in this report do not yet meet the criteria described as well as the “next generation” E-ZPass. Additional recommendations are made for system implementation, including implementing a monitoring program and an education campaign and potential future enhancements, such as variable charging by time of day and type of vehicle.
Finally, as part of the initial actions that the City is undertaking, the report recommends the following:
Join the E-ZPass Interagency Group to help design the next generation of E-ZPass
Continue and expand the education campaign
Design a monitoring program, and collect baseline data
Solicit improved equipment design, possibly through a design competition.
