User Costs and Calculations


The cost of congestion is the value of the extra time and fuel that is consumed during congested travel. The value of time is estimated for drivers. The fuel costs for passenger vehicles and trucks are the per-gallon average price for each state. Most commonly, the value of a person’s time is derived from the perspective of the individual’s value of their time, rather than being based on the wage rate. Only the value of truck operating time is included; the value of the commodities is not.