The value of automobile travel time: implications for congestion policy

J Calfee, C Winston - Journal of public economics, 1998 - Elsevier
J Calfee, C Winston
Journal of public economics, 1998Elsevier
Public policy has remained stoutly resistant to the economic profession's call to use
congestion tolls to minimize the social costs from automobile congestion. This paper
explores this issue by using stated preference models to estimate the value that commuters
are willing to pay to save travel time. We find that this value is low and surprisingly
insensitive to travel conditions and how toll revenues are used. It appears that even high-
income commuters, having adjusted to congestion through their modal, residential …
Public policy has remained stoutly resistant to the economic profession's call to use congestion tolls to minimize the social costs from automobile congestion. This paper explores this issue by using stated preference models to estimate the value that commuters are willing to pay to save travel time. We find that this value is low and surprisingly insensitive to travel conditions and how toll revenues are used. It appears that even high-income commuters, having adjusted to congestion through their modal, residential, workplace, and departure time choices, simply do not value travel time savings enough to benefit substantially from tolls.
Elsevier