ypsipartisan

Has your state escaped the 85th percentile trap? Tell me your secrets!

For others: the "85th percentile" method used by many states and cities samples the speed cars travel on a road during free-flow traffic conditions, then sets the speed limit to the speed the 85th percentile car is traveling. This ideal condition is then used to set the speed limit for all conditions.

Its a great method for roads that don't experience weather, night, wildlife, pedestrians, congestion, or other complicating factors.

HOT lanes (high occupancy / toll) can be more efficient than general lanes because they combine higher average vehicle occupancy (efficiency is about moving humans, not vehicles) with better throughput on that lane than it would have as another general, congested lane.

The rest of the drivers are effectively offered a choice: instead of just sitting in traffic, they can choose whether to sit in traffic, pay the toll, or buddy up. Ideally, revenue from the HOT lane is used to create even more options, such as by funding transit operations or bike infrastructure (both of which can be even more space-efficient ways of moving humans than traffic lanes).

If you use the congestion fee to pay for access/transport options for low-income travelers, this on net is the opposite of income-gated pay to play.

But lol who am i kidding, we'll just use it to cut other taxes for well-off people.