Commentary

Federal Highway Administration Continues Funding Congestion Relief Projects

Despite the rhetoric on livability, distracted driving, and high-speed rail, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Value Pricing Pilot Program continues to fund congestion relief projects across the nation. The most recent round of grants totaling nearly $10 million were recently announced, and they included $900,000 to help use the Miami, Florida managed lanes (HOT lane) project as a model for the rest of the nation, advancing a first ever bus toll lane projec tin the Tampa-St. Petersburg area ($800,000), and advancing a regional managed lanes concept for the Charlotte, North Carolina area ($400,000). Other projects included congestion pricing for parking in San Francisco and the Stanford University area ($1 million each).

So, congestion relief hasn’t completely disappeared from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s policy agenda (although the pilot project was an initiative of former DOT secretary Mary Peters and legacy of former DOT secretary Norm Mineta’s congestion relief policy priorities).