Road pricing can be seen as one of the strategies to achieve a more efficient use of transportation resources and to relieve congestion on the roads. This paper aims to provide a theoretical and practical evaluation of effects of different road pricing policies on behavioural responses and their consequences. Therefore, there is a need for an appropriate tool for predicting the effects of road pricing strategies; such a tool could be a dedicated dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model, which can forecast traffic conditions in the transportation network. The focus of this paper is on how current DTA models need to be modified and extended to be able to evaluate adequately effects of dynamic, location and flow dependent road pricing measures on travel choices. The expected results of the paper are twofold First, to get insight into the state of the art in the field of road pricing policies and DTA modelling. Secondly, to establish the most promising approach for the future research. We will propose a new framework for the evaluation of the direct and indirect effects of possible road pricing policies. This framework of the DTA model with road pricing will support policy makers in making decisions how and where to introduce road pricing measures. Using a bi-level model formulation, it is possible to determine optimal road pricing strategies, dependent on the aim of road pricing. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting