1. TOLL TRUCKWAYS: A New Path Toward Safer and More Efficient Freight Transportation By Peter Samuel, Robert W. Poole, Jr., and José Holguin-Veras

2. Today’s Dilemma: Safety vs. Productivity
Safety—nearly 5,000 deaths per year from car/truck accidents
Productivity
Longer combination vehicles (LCVs) can haul more than twice as much freight as conventional 18-wheelers
Truck shipping is $610 billion/year business; 10% saving is $61 billion

3. Current U.S. Truck-Trailer Combinations

4. Toll Truckways: a win-win proposition
Heavy-duty lanes designed for LCVs
Built in existing right of way on long-distance Interstate routes
Open (voluntarily) to all trucks; mandatory for LCVs in non-LCV states
Self-funding from tolls, charged electronically

5. USDOT Truck Size & Weight Study (August 2000)
Studied costs & benefits of beefing up Interstates/National Network
Net savings ranged from $9B to $40B per year
Did not resolve the safety issue
Did not resolve the funding issue
Did not resolve the political issue

6. Lessons from Canada and Australia
Large countries with long distances, like USA
Trucking is major player in long-haul freight
Much further along in liberalizing size & weight regulations
Two key innovations
B-coupling
Tridem axles

7. Key Innovations: B-Coupling and Tridem Axles

8. Simulation Modeling Civil engineering team at CCNY Pavement design
Productivity-gain estimates
Economic feasibility
Financial feasibility

9. Pavement Analysis Interstate corridor (used I-35 in TX)
3 existing lanes + new Truckway
40,000 ADT, 20% trucks
Modeled many scenarios

10. Productivity Analysis
Modeled only 18-wheeler and long double
States with/without LCV freeze
Huge productivity gains, especially in states with freeze:
18-wheeler: 62% to 115% more payload
Long double: 57% to 492% more payload

11. Economic Analysis Toll = one-half of cost savings
Tolls ranged from $0.43 to $1.86/mi.
But used only $0.40 to $0.80/mi.
Tolls would cover capital & operating costs in most scenarios

12. Financial (ROI) Analysis (example)
Traffic Toll = $0.40/mi. Toll = $0.80/mi.
25% Trucks (1000) 4.12% %
50% trucks (2000) 8.85% %
75% trucks (3000) 13.04% %
100% trucks (4000) 16.97% %

13. Political Feasibility Analysis
Would truckers pay cents/mile?
Ohio Turnpike tolls for LCVs: cents/mi.
Fuel taxes on LCVs: cents/mi.
Total now paid: cents/mi.
If charged only toll on TTW, cents is in the ballpark.

14. Implementing No-Double Taxation on TTWs
Rebate of federal + state diesel tax
Miles recorded by electronic toll system
Periodic payments by state tax agency to each trucking company

15. Impact of Truckway Fuel-Tax Rebates ($ per lane-mile of Toll Truckway)
Truck % in Truckway
Truck ADT in Truck- way
Fuel tax loss to DOT
O&M savings to DOT
Net cost to DOT
Avoided cost of New Lane
25%
1000
$58,400
$6,090
$52,310
$352,428
50%
2000
$116,800
$13,298
$103,502
$366,250
75%
3000
$175,200
$37,558
$137,642
$381,478
100%
4000
$233,600
$47,101
$186,499
$389,788

16. Needed Policy Changes
Provision of right of way in Interstate/National Network corridors
Liberalized size & weight limits on Toll Truckway lanes
Removal of ban on Interstate tolling for Toll Truckway lanes
Exemption from federal & state diesel tax for miles driven on Toll Truckways

17. Conclusion Large reductions in shipping costs Increased highway safety
Reduced highway emissions
Increased highway capacity, self-funded