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108 Big Data Analytics for Connected Vehicles and Smart Cities Smart Cities 109

stream that can support the use of analytics for new insight and understanding
into the quality of transportation service delivery, the factors that drive the
demand for transportation, and changes in the ability to supply transportation
services. A mix of short-, medium-, and long-term strategies can be developed
based on this data stream to enhance transportation planning, to provide new
services to the full spectrum of transportation users within a smart city, and to
optimize transportation service delivery and operations.

Develop New Response Strategies
The possibilities to support the development of new response strategies within
smart cities are immense. A scientific approach to transportation planning,
traffic engineering, transit management, and mobility on demand services is
enabled by new data and new data management techniques. While these new
possibilities will initially impact planning and operations in terms of decision
support to professionals engaged in these activities, it is also likely over the long
term to lead to more automation. There is considerable current focus on the
automated vehicle, and it is to be expected that the automated back office will
also be developed as a complement to this.

5.11 Lessons Learned from the London Congestion Charge Project

In addition to the challenges and opportunities described above, there are
several practical lessons that can be learned based on Transport for London’s
experience in implementing the London Congestion Charge, which was in-
troduced in 2003 [13]. The congestion charge was introduced after a consider-
able amount of study on the issue of congestion charging or road pricing. The
study started in 1964 with the publication of the Smeed Report [14], which
presented the results from a government panel that assessed the practical issues
related to the implementation of road pricing within a British city. Subsequent
studies focused specifically on London, leading to the implementation of the
congestion charge as transportation policy in London moved away from road
construction in favor of public transport and traffic management improve-
ments. Figure 5.10 [14] illustrates the current boundaries of the congestion
charging zone. This represents one of the largest congestion charging zones in
the world and was implemented with the general objectives of reducing traffic
flows within the zone boundaries, while generating revenues for improvement
to the public transportation system. Drivers are charged a fee of approximately
$14 (all fees have been converted to U.S. dollars at the rate of $1.24 to the
pound and rounded to the nearest dollar) for each day that their vehicle is
detected as being present within the zone. The charge is in effect from 7 a.m.