Urban transport pricing reform with two levels of government: A case study of Brussels

This paper analyses two challenges in the reform of urban transport pricing. First the construction of an optimal package of urban transport pricing instruments assuming one benevolent welfare maximizer. It is found that parking and tolling are the most important elements of the optimal package and that these policy instruments are sub-additive in their benefits. The second problem is the use of pricing instruments by different government levels: the urban government controls parking fees and the regional government controls a cordon toll. It is found that the overall efficiency losses in the Nash and Stackelberg equilibria are limited.