Financial Incentives to Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled

A way of mitigating congestion is the reduction of vehicle-miles traveled per capita (VMTpc). VMTpc serves as an indicator for resource allocation, budgeting, planning, policymaking, and decision making. The reduction of the VMTpc is linked to public and social goals like better air quality, sustainable and healthy environments, and the reduction of fuel consumption, among others impacts. Aiming to achieve these goals, decision-makers look to stimulate changes in population behavior through the design and implementation of incentives and deterrents. Implementation examples of financial incentives and operational strategies to reduce traffic congestion and VMTs in the United States (U.S.) have led to diverse results. This project will study the acceptability, implantability, and the impact of the implementation of positive financial incentives aiming toward the reduction of VMTs using alternative means of transportation to the private motor vehicle. A combined approach is proposed that will incorporate secondary data with user and expert knowledge and a pilot study to examine the acceptability and potential for implementation of travelers’ financial incentives to reduce VMT. A survey will determine the travelers’ willingness-to-accept (WTA) incentives to change their behavior and accept VMT reduction alternatives by means of Stated Preference questions and Discrete Choice Analysis. A Pilot Study will evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of positive financial incentives to reduce VMT of private motor vehicles by promoting transit and micro-mobility alternatives. An Expert Opinion Survey (EOS) will be developed to determine the experts’ opinions on the feasibility and effectiveness of positive incentives to reduce VMT. The information and the approach to be generated by this research will add knowledge that can be used by academicians, practitioners, and government officials for the design of policies for financial incentives in similar mid-size urban areas and college towns.

• Record URL:
  https://nicr.usf.edu/2022/05/18/3-6_financialincentives/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $48092
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551947136

  79075-00-A

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  National Institute for Congestion Reduction

  University of South Florida
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620
• Managing Organizations:

  National Institute for Congestion Reduction

  University of South Florida
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620
• Project Managers:

  Zhang, Yu

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

  Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying
  PO Box 9000
  Mayagüez PR 00681-9000, PR  United States  00681-9000
• Principal Investigators:

  Del Valle-González, Carlos

  Roman, Daniel

  Figueroa Medina, Alberto

  Valdes Diaz, Didier

• Start Date: 20220601
• Expected Completion Date: 20230530
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Congestion management systems; Incentives; Stated preferences; Surveys; Vehicle miles of travel
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01853954
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Institute for Congestion Reduction
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551947136, 79075-00-A
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 7 2022 9:52AM