Treasure Island Mobility Management: Congestion Toll Policies to Support a New, Comprehensive Transportation System for a Redevelopment Area
California State Assembly Bill 981, the Treasure Island Transportation Management Act of 2008, authorized a congestion toll as a component of a comprehensive, multimodal transportation plan to serve the redeveloped Island of Treasure Island in San Francisco. Adopted transportation plans to support the Island's redevelopment calls for a comprehensive, integrated program to manage travel demand on the Island as it develops. This innovative approach to mobility includes a complimentary package of strategies and services including required purchase of transit vouchers by residents, parking fees, and a multimodal congestion pricing program that applies motorist user fees to support enhanced and new bus, ferry, and shuttle transit, as well as bicycle sharing, to reduce the traffic impacts of the project. The transportation system must meet long term transportation system performance and financial sustainability goals. This paper describes an analysis of alternative congestion toll policies, and identifies the congestion toll policies that are recommended to achieve the long term goals of the mobility management program. The analysis is based on travel demand forecasting, financial modeling, and stakeholder input. The key finding on both technical fronts is that is that a broad based but low level toll is most capable of achieving goals. The key finding on political feasibility is that affordability for low income households and must be a key consideration. With respect to the former, the authors find that the most effective way for a transportation management agency to aid in reducing out of pocket transportation spending among low income households is to enable car shedding. To that end, they recommend a multimodal transit discount program that includes, among other elements, a program to accrue toll credits by taking transit. This paper provides insight to practitioners into the role of a congestion toll in achieving transportation system performance goals and in meeting transportation funding needs.