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. 2021 Dec;98(6):754-771.
doi: 10.1007/s11524-021-00578-3. Epub 2021 Oct 25.

Congestion Pricing Policies and Safety Implications: a Scoping Review

Bhavna Singichetti  1 , Jamie L Conklin  2 , Kristen Hassmiller Lich  3 , Nasim S Sabounchi  4 , Rebecca B Naumann  5
Affiliations

Congestion Pricing Policies and Safety Implications: a Scoping Review

Bhavna Singichetti et al. J Urban Health. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Congestion pricing policies (CPPs) are a common strategy for addressing urban traffic congestion. Research has explored several impacts of these policies (e.g., air quality, equity, congestion relief). The purpose of this review was to synthesize findings from publications examining CPP impacts on road user safety outcomes. We conducted a systematic search of relevant literature in four large research databases (Transport Research International Documentation, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus), searching from database inception through January 2021. We identified 18 eligible publications. Safety-related outcomes included overall crashes and injury crashes with stratification by injury severity and road user type (e.g., bicyclist, pedestrian). A majority of the publications examined zone-based CPPs (n = 13) and used observed data involving real policies (n = 10), as compared to a predicted or simulated analysis. Decreases in overall crashes and injuries for some road users were observed (e.g., car occupants). While some studies estimated short-term increases in injuries and crashes for bicyclists and motorcyclists (likely due to shifts from personal vehicle use to other transportation modes and increased exposure), most analyses focused on longer-term impacts and generally found a reversal and eventual decrease in injuries and crashes after a few years. The relative scarcity of safety outcomes in published literature, along with the wide breadth of CPP types, implementation contexts, and outcomes measured, demonstrates that more research on safety outcomes is needed. Cities and regions planning to implement CPPs should consider potential mode shifts and safety supports for all road users (e.g., bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure).

Keywords: Congestion pricing policy; Motor vehicle; Road pricing; Road traffic injury; Scoping review; Traffic safety.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA Diagram* *Transport for London (TfL) Impact Monitoring Series counted as one publication in this diagram and in this review
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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