Cities are rethinking how they fund and manage their transportation networks. Traditional fuel taxes and static toll systems are no longer sufficient to address congestion, emissions, or equity challenges.
In response, tolling and user-fee models, particularly those based on dynamic pricing and congestion zones, are emerging as essential tools for the next era of urban mobility.
Adjusting fees based on real-time conditions like demand, time of day, or vehicle emission agencies can manage traffic, cut congestion, and fund sustainable infrastructure. Success depends on accurate, real-time traffic intelligence, which is where INRIX delivers critical insights.
The Role of Data in the Future of Road Pricing
Successful user-fee programs depend on a deep understanding of traffic patterns, travel behavior, and network performance. With billions of data points collected daily from connected vehicles, GPS devices, and mobile sources, INRIX provides a complete picture of mobility across urban and regional networks.
This data helps governments and private operators:
- Identify bottlenecks and peak-hour demand.
- Model the economic and environmental impacts of different toll rates.
- Monitor network performance in real time.
- Adjust pricing dynamically to keep traffic flowing efficiently.
By combining historical analytics, real-time monitoring, and AI-driven forecasting, INRIX transforms transportation management from reactive to predictive.
INRIX Products That Power Dynamic Pricing and Toll Road Modeling
There are 5 INRIX products that help planners and agencies design, test, and optimize user-fee models with precision.
- INRIX Speed Distribution Profiles: Profiles: Provides historical and real-time speed data for every road segment, at 15-minute granularity. Agencies use Speed Distribution Profiles to identify congestion hotspots, calculate free-flow vs. congested travel times, and calibrate pricing thresholds for toll roads.
- INRIX Volume Profile: Delivers traffic counts across millions of miles of roadway.
Volume Profile data enables planners to forecast toll revenue, assess capacity utilization, and model demand elasticity — key variables for financial and operational analysis. - INRIX Roadway Analytics: A cloud-based platform that analyzes corridor performance, travel delays, and bottlenecks using anonymized connected vehicle data. Roadway Analytics is ideal for:
- Pre-toll feasibility studies
- Corridor prioritization
- Before-and-after impact evaluation
- INRIX AI Traffic: Combines real-time sensor data with predictive algorithms to deliver low-latency traffic speeds and incident detection. AI Traffic is the backbone for real-time dynamic pricing, where toll rates adapt automatically to live congestion levels.
- INRIX Signal Analytics: Measures intersection performance without field sensors by using connected vehicle data. This helps cities manage secondary congestion effects when implementing toll zones, ensuring smoother traffic flow on nearby arterial streets.
Real-World Application: Congestion Pricing in New York City
In early 2025, New York City launched its historic cordon-based congestion pricing program the first of its kind in North America. INRIX data was instrumental in evaluating its early performance. Using Roadway Analytics and AI Traffic, analysts were able to measure:
- Speed improvements across tolled bridges and tunnel approaches.
- Volume reductions entering Manhattan’s congestion zone.
- System-wide impacts on travel time reliability and emissions.
These results show how data-driven pricing can enhance mobility, sustainability, and fairness simultaneously.
How INRIX Data Supports Each Stage of Tolling Implementation
From the first step of planning and implementation Speed Distribution Profiles, Volume Profile, and Roadway Analytics provide accurate congestion baselines and network performance insights. For the design and modeling phase, INRIX Trip Analytics and Origin-Destination data help model travel behavior, demand elasticity, and traffic diversion under various tolling scenarios. AI Traffic helps support dynamic pricing linked directly to actual congestion levels, maintaining optimal flow and reliability helps the deployment and monitoring process. For post implementation, Roadway Analytics and Signal Analytics quantify performance improvements, user-cost savings, and equity outcomes across the network.
The Benefits of Data-Driven Tolling
- Improved Mobility: Dynamic pricing smooths traffic peaks, reducing delays and improving travel reliability.
- Environmental & Economic Gains: Less congestion lowers emissions and fuel use, while new toll revenues support transit and infrastructure.
- Equity & Transparency: Real-time data reveals who benefits, guiding fair and effective pricing adjustments.
- Faster Policy Iteration: Analytics enable quick evaluation and refinement of tolling strategies.
Building Smarter, More Sustainable Cities
The rise of tolling and user-fee models signals a new chapter in urban mobility management, driven by data, adaptability, and transparency. With INRIX, transportation leaders can turn data into action: designing pricing systems that are fair, efficient, and responsive to real-world conditions.
From early feasibility studies to full-scale deployment, INRIX data empowers cities to manage congestion intelligently, fund infrastructure sustainably, and move people more efficiently.
Learn more about INRIX products here or contact us for a free demo.