An Analysis of Equity Among Policy Solutions for Traffic Congestion

Abstract

T he emergence of ride-hailing in the United States has brought forth new issues for its cities, particularly a large infux of traffc congestion. Today, several cities have introduced distinct ideas to solve congestion issues while debating their implications for equity. This paper examines the equity implications of traffc congestion in America’s cities by comparing a fat tax rate on ride-hailing to various road pricing mechanisms using specifc evaluative criteria, including transportation access and vertical equity. This paper begins with an overview of ride-hailing in the United States and the congestion problem it poses for cities, then reviews the literature around congestion and equity, describes and assesses the equity of a fat tax rate and road pricing, and ends with broad implications resourced from the literature for future policy.