The general term for this is "Development Impact Fees", and although
they can be applied for many types of public costs (school, parks,
etc.) roadway traffic is probably the largest type. Such fees are
often calculated based on the number of vehicle trips "generated" by
the site, sometimes including discounts if developers implement trip
reduction measures such as charging for parking, location near
transit stations or commute trip reduction programs
(http://www.lic.wisc.edu/shapingdane/facilitation/all_resources/impacts/analysis_traffic.htm
).
A problem with such fees is that they are often highest for dense,
infill development, where most roads are already at capacity,
particularly if the trip generation prediction methods fail to
account for the lower number of vehicle trips in such areas. As a
result, it is very important to structure the fees to account for the
many factors that affect trip generation rates, and to provide
discounts for developments that include mobility management programs
(see for example http://www.metrokc.gov/DDES/acrobat/cib/47.pdf ). In
some communities there are efforts to allow such funds to be use for
mobility management programs rather than just roadway capacity expansion.
You can find out more by doing a Google search on: "development
impact fees traffic generation". Let me know if you want more
specific examples.
Best wishes,
-Todd Litman
At 08:46 AM 4/19/2006, Jonathan E. D. Richmond wrote:
>I'd appreciate some quick tips on government charging of land developers
>for the impact their developments will have on increasing congestion in
>return for the right to proceed with development.
>
>It would be helpful to have some examples of where this has already been
>done, and on what basis. What powers have been invoked to assess such
>charges, and have specific impacts on congestion been estimated and passed
>on, or have some flat rates been used? Has any such money raised been used
>for improvements to transport or tended to go to general funds?
>
>Many thanks!
> --Jonathan
>
>-----
>Jonathan Richmond
>Visiting Scholar
>Department of Urban Planning and Design
>Graduate School of Design
>Harvard University
>312 George Gund Hall
>48 Quincy St.
>Cambridge MA 02138-3000
>
>Mailing address:
>182 Palfrey St.
>Watertown MA 02472-1835
>
>(617) 395-4360
>
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
Sincerely,
Todd Alexander Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)
[log in to unmask]
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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