The Welfare Effects of Congestion Tolls with Heterogeneous Commuters | Synapse
February 28, 2026
The Welfare Effects of Congestion Tolls with Heterogeneous Commuters
Key Points
The study aims to evaluate how time-varying congestion tolls impact the welfare of various commuters.
Analyzed welfare effects using Vickrey's bottleneck model.
Assumed fixed demand for commuters during the morning journey.
Investigated the effects of time-varying tolls in heterogeneous commuting scenarios.
Identified optimal tolls can improve welfare for some commuter groups.
Demonstrated the efficiency of time-varying tolls in reducing congestion issues.
Abstract
This paper analyses the welfare effects of an optimal time-varying toll imposed during the morning journey to work, employing Vickrey’s bottleneck model and assuming fixed demand.161