CENTRAL AREA AUTO RESTRAINT: A BOSTON CASE STUDY

Convenience, travel patterns, and transportation facilities of the Boston metropolitan area served to elect Boston as a case study for auto restraint schemes. This report analyzes the benefits and costs, and political and administrative feasibility of several measures designed to restrain auto use and reduce traffic congestion in the central area. Specific restraint policies examined herein include: increases in central area parking charges, special area licenses for the use of central area streets, and a small auto-free zone. Applications of these measures during morning, midday, and evening peak periods are considered. All restraint measures produced positive net benefits. The highest net benefits were generated by parking surcharges and area license schemes, with estimated gains of $15 to $24 million in 1975 and perhaps a doubling of annual benefits over 10 to 20 years. The optimal parking surcharge or license fee is in the range of $0.50 to $1.00 per vehicle, which reduces the number of autos entering Boston's central area by 15 to 35 percent. This report not only provides a summary of the results of both the cost/benefit and travel impact analysis and the political analysis, but also presents recommendations for restraint measures that are both socially beneficial and easily implemented.