Majority of AAA Members Supports Roadway Tolls (BUT READ THE FINE PRINT)

Today’s good news is that nearly two-thirds of AAA members supported tolling in a recent survey.

You’ll want to read the fine print: The first ‘A’ in the acronym stands for ‘Auckland’ (New Zealand), not ‘American’.

But the report a few days ago in Auckland Now still paints a picture of an alternate universe—one the United States might see in the not-too-distant future—in which tolling achieves wide recognition as a way to ease highway congestion, while paying for long-overdue highway repairs and reconstruction that would otherwise go unfunded.

‘Shifting Gears’ on Congestion Pricing

The Auckland Now story recounts a poll of 1,300 Auckland Automobile Association (AA) members, in which half were willing to pay a $5-cordon charge, most supported a $2.50 charge, and “close to two-thirds said they were open to congestion charging, either now or in the future.” A series of reports had previously identified congestion charges as a solution for the city’s overcrowded highways, and a 2015 poll revealed public support for peak-hour pricing.

Spokesperson Barney Irvine said 75% of the AA’s more than 6,000 members opposed congestion charging in 2006. But attitudes were already beginning to shift in the association’s last survey, in 2014, and the 2016 results show a “growing willingness” to accept new charges as long as they’re applied fairly.

While survey respondents "remained worried" about the impact on poorer households, or on users with limited mobility alternatives, "AA members recognize that dealing with Auckland's congestion problems will take some pretty bold approaches, and some collective changes to how people use transport," he said.

Respondents did hold to the unfortunate notion that tolls on new roads should be lifted once they’ve covered the initial cost of construction, pointing to a need for further consumer education in Auckland. As we know, there are no free roads and a steady stream of revenue maintains the safety and reliability of highways, bridges and tunnels.

Public Support is Closer Than You Think

But it’s still a milestone, and a moment worth noting and celebrating, when a poll of self-identified automobile enthusiasts expresses strong majority support for a user financing tool that can help keep them on the road. For years, IBTTA member agencies have been reporting that familiarity breeds acceptance—that highway users who are more familiar with tolls tend to like them better. Now, the sentiment is breaking out into the general population.

And the trend seems likely to accelerate as Millennials enter the work force and the customer base. Last month, at IBTTA’s 2016 Summit on All-Electronic Tolling, Managed Lanes and Interoperability, participants heard that younger drivers are more likely to use a mix of mobility modes—but when they drive, an overwhelming 79% of them support express lanes.

The AET Summit also heard about jurisdictions where partnerships between tolling and transit authorities had led to a quadrupling in express bus ridership. That landmark finding goes a long way to answering Barney Irvine’s comment that “much more work” is needed to show Auckland drivers that congestion charging benefits public transport users.

“Paying more to sit in the same traffic jams is no one’s idea of a livable city,” Irvine told Auckland Today. That’s absolutely right. And tolling agencies from around the globe are ready and answering that call.

For more on the latest user financing and congestion pricing strategies, register today to attend IBTTA’s 84^th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, September 11-14, 2016 in Denver.