Helsinki region congestion charges. Follow-up study

The present study, carried out in 2010 in wide-ranging cooperation between different stake-holders in the Helsinki region, provides a follow-up to the Helsinki Region Congestion Charging Study released in 2009. The purpose of the study is to examine whether the objectives set for the transport system in the region could be better achieved through a system that uses congestion charges than a system that does not use any. Separate studies on the impacts of congestion charging on transport, social equity, land use and goods transport were also conducted. The examination was performed by comparing a transport system including congestion charging (the congestion charging scenario) with the draft version of the Helsinki Region Transport System Plan (the HLJ 2011 draft) which does not include congestion charging. The congestion charging scenario and the HLJ 2011 draft were compared with the 0+ alternative in which the transport system is developed at a lower level of funding than in the other alternatives. The comparison alternative used, the 0+ alternative, was created in the HLJ 2011 draft in the impact assessment at the strategic level. Based on the comparison of the different alternatives, it can be concluded that a transport system including congestion charging helps achieve the objectives set for the Helsinki region transport system better than a transport system without congestion charging. This report may be found at http://www.lvm.fi/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=1551284&name=DLFE-11705.pdf&title=Julkaisuja 5-2011