Toll roads and road pricing are seldom popular with motorists, but are increasingly likely propositions as planners attempt to reduce both congestion and traffic emissions.  A recent study from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University explores whether such an approach is effective, at least from an environmental perspective.

The researchers hypothesized that because even and fast movement of vehicles is the most fuel efficient, anything that can reduce the need for stopping and starting is going to produce environmental benefits.  This is especially so for trucks, and with such large vehicles contributing significantly to air pollution, the impact could be profound.

The authors argue however, that logistics firms can often navigate around toll roads in order to try and save money, which often sends vehicles through towns where congestion and disruption to the flow of their journey are more likely.  The researchers wanted to test a new model to examine these trade offs and understand just what the environmental impact of toll roads might be.

“Using the new model, we studied certain advantages of toll roads that regular roads lack. The idea was to show transportation companies that tolls can be less that the costs they incur when using regular roads,” the researchers say.

Smooth travel

The model was able to calculate the number of stops a truck will typically make on a normal road, complete with traffic lights and potential traffic jams.  The model was able to show that toll roads can be both economically and environmentally friendly.

It’s an argument that the team hope will also carry weight with freight companies, who of course must take account of fuel efficiency when costing their operations, so reducing fuel consumption can have a big impact on their outgoings.

“Transportation companies can help with it as many trucks have these systems installed on board. In the future the companies might be able to use this method in order to develop the most efficient routes,” the researchers conclude.