Airport Toll Roads

I read Aerotropolis, by Kasarda. Kasarda speaks of the importance of surface transportation access to airports.  Kasarda once missed a plane, while waiting in traffic within walking distance of the airport. The fundamental premise of an airport is that time is valuable (else you'd go by some other mode). Where the time-savings occurs doesn't matter--it can be on the airplane (by making the airplane faster) or on the ground, by making access to the airport faster.

For cars on a highway, the main source of delay is congestion. One commonly advocated solution to congestion is 'congestion pricing'. Ie, 'surge' pricing, except for road-space rather than cars. When the road is not congested, driving on it is free. But the more demand for road space there is (and the more congested things get) the higher the price you pay for road space.

Reading up on Dulles Airport, which is accessed by the Dulles Toll Road, and the idea is much on my mind: running a road like an airport. When the demand is low, prices are low to fill the seats. But when demand is high, the price rises, and only travelers who really need the speed are willing to pay for it.

Makes me wonder if we couldn't make congestion pricing more acceptable by introducing 'bereavement fares'--if you have to fly, on zero notice, because someone died, the airlines charge you the ticket price as if had been bought 3 weeks ago. Be nice to offer that for congestion tolls--if it was an emergency, the charge is negated.