NOTE: There are limited slots available on a first come first served basis.

The Federal Highway Administration is hosting a webinar series on road pricing and public acceptance. The objective of this three-session, mini-course is to provide information and tools to transportation professionals to help them gain an understanding of public acceptance issues for congestion pricing, and strategies to help them address these issues. The target audience is transportation and public involvement professionals (agency staff, senior managers and consultants) in metropolitan areas considering the implementation of broader congestion pricing strategies. Multiple transportation professionals from various organizations within the same region are encouraged to participate in order to promote meaningful dialog between key stakeholders within participating areas.

The material presented in the webinar will include an overview of congestion pricing concepts and the associated public acceptance issues, followed by an interactive discussion on the experiences of various metropolitan areas, including the Twin Cities, New York City, and Seattle. In addition, there will be opportunities to brainstorm and discuss specific ideas and issues facing the areas represented by course participants. Participants will receive short summary readings for each of the formal case studies prior to the respective webinar session. They will also be given the opportunity to provide feedback both during and after each webinar.

Each webinar session will be approximately 90-minutes. The webinars will be held on August 24, September 7 and September 28 (Tuesdays) from 2 PM to 4 PM EDT. This mini-course will be formatted so that each webinar session will be useful independently. However, participants will gain the most benefit by participating in the entire series, as each session will build upon the previous ones.

Session 1: Gaining Public Acceptance - An Introduction to Road Pricing - August 24, 2010
Presenters: Ken Buckeye (MnDOT), Patrick DeCorla-Souza (FHWA), Lee Munnich (Humphrey Institute), and John Doan (SRF Consulting).
Readings:
Value Pricing and Public Outreach: Minnesota's Lessons Learned (Munnich, Loveland, TRR 2005)
Value Pricing Education and Outreach Model: I-394 MnPASS Community Task Force (Buckeye, Munnich, TRR 2006)

Session 2: Seeking Approval- Lessons from PLANYC 2030 Congestion Pricing - September 7, 2010
Presenters: Patrick DeCorla-Souza (FHWA), Bruce Schaller (NYC DOT), Lee Munnich (Humphrey Institute), and John Doan (SRF Consulting).
Readings:
New York City's congestion pricing experience and implications
for road pricing acceptance in the United States (Schaller, Transport Policy, 2010)
Bruce Schaller NYC commissioner says road pricing must benefit motorists for acceptance (TOLLROADSnews, April 29, 2010)

Session 3: Outreach Strategies for Project Deployment
Featured Case: Seattle Road Pricing Program plus Participant Case (US 36) - September 28, 2010
Presenters: Patty Rubstello (WSDOT), Charles Howard (PSRC), Peggy Catlin (CDOT), Lee Munnich (Humphrey Insitute), John Doan (SRF Consulting), Patrick DeCorla-Souza (FHWA).
Readings:
UPA Marketing Plan (Final Draft 8-18-2010)
Transportation 2040 Executive Summary
Final Tolling Committee Report (January 2009)

Participants may review summary readings for each of the formal case studies prior to the respective webinar session. They will also be given the opportunity to provide feedback both during and after each webinar and suggest case studies for future webinars.

To register for these courses, please click on the individual session below:

Session 1, August 24, 2010 Register Now!
Session 2, September 7, 2010 Register Now!
Session 3, September 28, 2010 Register Now!

Note: Continuing Education Units may be available for participants through the University of Minnesota. Professional Development Hours Credit Statement for Registrant Records