HR 351119th CongressIn Committee

To amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 to prohibit congestion or cordon pricing in a value pricing program, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Jan 13, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, H.R. 351, would amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) to bar the federal government from establishing or maintaining a value pricing program that uses congestion pricing or cordon pricing. In practical terms, it prohibits federal value pricing programs from including toll regimes that price roadway use in response to congestion (either broadly called “value pricing” or specifically “congestion pricing” or “cordon pricing”). The aim appears to be to stop the use of market-based pricing tools designed to manage traffic demand within federally funded value pricing initiatives. The bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (as indicated in the text) and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. There is no indication of further action or passage in the provided text.

Key Points

1Prohibition established: The bill adds a new provision to ISTEA stating that the Secretary may not establish or maintain a value pricing program under the relevant section if that program includes value pricing, congestion pricing, or cordon pricing.
2Scope withinISTEA: The prohibition is limited to a “value pricing program” under the specified section of ISTEA; it does not explicitly address other, non-value-pricing transportation funding tools outside that framework.
3Terminology: “Value pricing program” refers to pricing strategies intended to influence travel behavior and funding for transportation projects; “congestion pricing” and “cordon pricing” are specific forms of pricing designed to reduce congestion, often by charging higher tolls during peak times or for entering a defined zone.
4Legislative status: Introduced January 13, 2025 by Rep. Malliotakis; referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. No further action is shown in the provided text.
5Policy intent and debate: The bill would limit the federal use of market-based congestion management tools within value pricing pilots or programs, potentially affecting efforts to reduce peak-period congestion and to fund transportation improvements through pricing mechanisms.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Transportation agencies and policymakers administering value pricing programs under ISTEA (federal involvement would be constrained in terms of using congestion, cordon, or similar pricing within those programs).- Motorists and road users who would otherwise face congestion- or zone-based tolls as part of value pricing initiatives.Secondary group/area affected- State and local governments collaborating with the federal government on pilot programs or demonstrations that rely on value pricing to manage demand and fund infrastructure.- Advocates and opponents of congestion pricing, who may view this as a constraint on tools aimed at reducing congestion and funding transportation.Additional impacts- Potential implications for transportation funding strategies: If federal value pricing pilots are limited in this way, states may rely more on traditional funding approaches or other non-pricing financing methods.- Equity and access considerations: Pricing mechanisms can have distributional effects. A ban on congestion-based pricing within federal value pricing programs could influence how the costs and benefits of road use are allocated among different income groups and regions.- Operational and planning implications: Agencies may need to adjust ongoing or proposed pricing pilots to avoid including congestion, cordon, or value-based pricing elements, potentially slowing or reshaping demand-management efforts.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025