If that was strictly true then the toll wouldn't make any difference. I don't have a better solution for Manhattan, but I can recognize that fixed-fee tolls sel

If that was strictly true then the toll wouldn't make any difference. I don't have a better solution for Manhattan, but I can recognize that fixed-fee tolls select for traffic with the "most disposable income" rather than the "most economically beneficial" traffic. Arguments can be made in places like Denver that high tolls means that those who have control over politics (who tend to be rich) won't feel much need to invest in additional road infrastructure, because their experience is that "the travel times are fine!". But they're using an up-to-$15-each-way toll road (E-470). Similar to how the TSA procedures would get reformed if everyone flying had to go through the same process (most importantly, including anyone taking private planes). But almost no one who has power to force changes actually goes through the TSA lines because they mostly take private chartered planes which don't have any TSA process.