Policy Brief: Spatio-Temporal Road Charge, A Potential Remedy for Increasing Local Street Congestion

In the early ages of the mobile Internet, routing apps appeared as a viable tool for the few motorists equipped with an in-vehicle navigation system or an aftermarket navigation device. With market penetration increasing, and recent market consolidation, a few companies are now the sole providers of driving directions to the majority of the US population. Additionally, the emergence of large ridesourcing or transportation network companies (TNCs) totaling up to tens of thousands of registered drivers in single cities (all using the same routing app), there is further consolidation. Across the US, this has led to new or increased congestion patterns that are progressively asphyxiating local streets due to so-called “cut-through traffic.”