A toll by any other name

A recent article in the Washington Post noted the phenomenon that some commuters drive significantly out of their way just so they can use the Dulles Access Road, which has very little traffic because it’s only intended for people on “airport business.” For those unfamiliar with the DC area, the free Access Road to the airport runs parallel to the Dulles Toll Road, which is priced at 75 cents in each direction but is still severely congested at rush hour. Put simply, people coming or going from the airport are able to use the Access Road for free and quick travel, and everyone else is supposed to pay for the Toll Road which still ends up having heavy traffic. As the Post observed, however, some people are rerouting their commutes through the airport just so that they have an excuse to use the Access Road, thus avoiding the traffic and cost of the Toll Road. Two conclusions can be drawn from this sneaky behavior: the Access Road is being underutilized, and the Toll Road is underpriced.

While some people might argue that the Toll Road is overpriced since people are trying to use the Access Road to avoid the toll, this is the wrong conclusion to draw. When people go out of their way to use the Access Road they are not only paying for extra gas, but they are often also paying for a coffee or newspaper from the airport gas station to prove that they are on “airport business.” They are primarily using the Access Road not to avoid the toll, but to avoid the heavy traffic congestion on the Toll Road. If the cost to use the Toll Road was increased in accordance with time of day to fight congestion, then people would have to pay more but would benefit from free flowing driving speeds in return (because some people would choose to change their route or time of commute, thus taking cars off the road).

The lower traffic on the Access Road indicates that it can serve a greater number of people than just those on “airport business.” To take advantage of this, anyone who wanted to use the road but was not on airport business could be charged a toll, and that toll could vary to make sure that the road stayed uncongested for all users, airport travelers and commuters alike.

The current phenomenon is a strange example of congestion pricing by accident. People who sneak onto the Access Road are actually paying a toll to avoid congestion, in the form of extra gas or a cup of coffee. Rather than trying to stop this sort of behavior, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority should seek to encourage it by charging a legitimate toll. Many people are clearly willing to pay to avoid congestion, and both the Toll Road and the Access Road should give them that option more directly and explicitly.

-Daniel Lewis