1. Congestion Charges in Stockholm
Oscar Alarik
Swedish Society For Nature Conservation
Presentation: Oscar Alarik, SSNC

2. Divided County Stockholm County: 1,98 million
Stockholm City:
The Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren split Stockholm in two parts.
The division cuts through the most densely populated part of the country
The circumstances in Stockholm are special – as all cities are special. Stockholm is the only point where it’s possible to pass from north to south in the entire eastern Sweden.
This is, of course, one reason why Stockholm became the capital of Sweden in the first place.
There is 1,8 million people living in Stockholm County of them lives in the City of Stockholm, a municipality of it’s own.

3. Major infrastructure projects
Kansliet

4. The Stockholm trial
Congestion charges has been discussed since the seventies.
The social democrats needed support in parliament from the greens and the left party.
Agreement 2003 : a time-limited trial with congestion charges in Stockholm.
The Stockholm trial would be subject of a public referendum, the same day as the next election, September 2006.
The new mayor in Stockholm had promised the voters not to introduce charges in TV shortly before the elections 2003…
Kansliet

5. Aims of the trial Reduce traffic by 10-15% on the main roads
Increase average speeds on streets and roads
Reduce emissions of hazardous pollutants and carbon dioxide
Inhabitants should feel that the city environment has improved
More resources to public transport
Kansliet

6. The three parts of the Stockholm trial
Kansliet

7. Congestion tax Charge when entering/exiting the centre of Stockholm
18 control points
Essingeleden was not included in the trial

9. Cameras High resolution digital cameras with infrared flash light
Photographs both registration plates
Automatic OCR-scan
The photographs stored in the system:
drivers and passengers are not visible.
Registration number blurred to prevent identification.

10. No barriers, no stopping, no roadside payments
Control points:
No barriers, no stopping, no roadside payments
Automated identification
Photographs of licence plates from front and rear
OBU:s (small electronic box in the car)
The OBU is unique for each vehicle
Road
Laser detector
Camera rear
Camera front
Antenna
Kansliet

11. Time
Charge SEK am 10 am 15 am 20 am
9.00 am pm pm pm pm pm
6.30 pm am
The figure I just showed you was one of 20 routes through town that have been measured with ”floating car”-methods. Today we have statistics from over 90 routes.
This figure shows total vehicle flow in 22 sites by the entrances to the inner city. The graph demonstrate the typical camel-back traffic flow during weekdays. This is also the ground for pricing of the congestion charge in Stockholm.
Kansliet

12. 10 kr 10 kr Passage through charge limit costs 10, 15 or 20 SEK
during charge hours
Travels through the zone to or from
Lidingö are exempted
Travels on Essinge- leden bypass are exempted from charges, too.
10 kr

13. An extremely hostile media before the trial:
”Thousands marching against congestion charges”
”Clear no to congestion charges”
”Time to admit the failure”
“Compared to Annika Billström, the cuban leadarship seems democratic”
“Honk the charges away”
“Congestion Charges strangles growth”

14. First day – January 3, 2006 Passages over the charging cordon de-
creased 30 per cent
compared to
the previous day
The first day of the Stockholm trial with congestion charges; a snapshot from the very first second.
Kansliet

15. Kansliet

16. Passages, control points 06:00 – 19:00
START
STOP

17. Goals essentially reached
% less traffic to/from inner city
Was 20-25%
Increased accessibility
Queue times down 30-50% in/near the inner city
Essingeleden bypass about the same as before
Decreased emissions
10-14% less in inner city; 2-3% in total county
Inhabitants should perceive an improved urban environment
Unclear – difficult to define and measure

18. Reduction of particles in air

19. Less emissions improve health
Emissions are reduced in the ”right” area – where people live and breath.
8-14 per cent reduction
Inner city
8-14% reduction
County
2-3% reduction

20. Kansliet

21. Less traffic – also further out and inside the cordon
Streets inside
Streets inside, large
Main roads inside
Cordon zone limit
Inner radials
Outer radials
Streets, outside
Orbitals

22. 30-50% less time in queues Delay time, AM peak
Inner main roads, inbound
Inner main roads, outbound
Inner streets
Inner main roads, northbound
Inner main roads, southbound

23. Even larger effect on PM peak
Delay time, PM peak
Inner main roads, inbound
Inner main roads, outbound
Inner streets
Inner main roads, northbound
Inner main roads, southbound

24. Industry & commerce
Marginal influence on land use, real estate prices and regional economy compared to other factors
No identifiable effects on retail at aggregate level
Influence on households purchasing power negligible

25. ”Stockholm the congestion tax”
Media coverage the weeks after the start.

26. Support from Al Gore.

27. ”Yes” in public referendum
51,3 % voted yes
45,5 % voted no
The new government decided to reinstall congestion taxes 2007.

28. Why is congestion charges so politically sensitive?
People pay for something that recently was perceived as free
Invisible benefits – at least until experienced
Easy meat for any political opposition
A car is a holy cow on four wheels

29. 5 success factors - a wish list
A committed political leader
The best project leader in the country - with a clear mandate
A thorough and well researched plan, ruthlessly adopted to the city’s needs and the public mind.
Legislation in place in good time: competence, integrity, penalties…
Be the one that’s got the facts. Media will ask the very first day how traffic behaves compared to the same day one year before.

30. Information: www.stockholmsforsoket.se
[End picture]
Information:

31. Cost-benefit analysis of the congestion charges
Payback time: 4 years.