As we mark one full year since the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns and stay-at-home guidelines commenced, industry and government officials are cautiously optimistic that the vaccine rollouts mean that there could, finally, be a light at the end of the tunnel. That could mean, at some point, the number of vehicles on the road during peak hours could be getting back to some semblance of normal. And returning with those vehicles — in addition to potentially higher fuel prices as demand increases — is much of the traffic congestion we’ve all come to know and loathe.
Getting back on the road again also could coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Federal Highway Administration’s (a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation) Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP) — established by Congress in 1991 as the Congestion Pricing Pilot Program. Renamed with its current moniker in 1998, the program was designed to demonstrate whether roadway congestion can be reduced through the application of congestion pricing strategies. It also studies how much such strategies impact driver behavior, traffic volume and air quality, among other elements.