Building More Roads Only Causes More Traffic

[bijoy]

Building More Roads Only Causes More Traffic

BY Ariel SchwartzThu Jun 2, 2011

Expanding highways and roads increases congestion by creating more demand--and building more public transportation doesn't help the problem.

A quick drive on one of Los Angeles's many freeways illustrates the fact that having more roads doesn't necessarily prevent traffic. Now a study from the University of Toronto confirms it: Expanding highways and roads increases congestion by creating more demand. And building out public transportation systems doesn't help either; there will always be more drivers to fill up any new road we build.

The disheartening study used data from hundreds of metro areas in the U.S. to reach the conclusion that there is a "fundamental law of highway congestion," which essentially says that people drive more when there are more roads to drive on--no matter how much traffic there is. As a result, increased building of "interstate highways and major urban roads is unlikely to relieve congestion of these roads."

Not even building more trains, buses, and light rail can help with the traffic problem. In an interview with Streetsblog, study coauthor Matthew Turner explains that his fundamental law means that people are always waiting for extra space on the roads, and a person taking the bus simply opens up space for a new car:

If somebody stays home, or if you add capacity to the road, there’s somebody there waiting to use that space. Well you should expect the same thing to happen if somebody gets out of their car and gets on the bus, it’s bringing up a little bit more room on the roads, and there’s somebody out there waiting to use it.

This doesn't mean public transportation is worthless; it transports more people with less fuel and fewer carbon emissions. But spending more on it has no effect on traffic.

So what does help? The University of Toronto researchers offer just one suggestion: congestion pricing. It's a pain for commuters, but that's sort of the point. People are desperate to drive, so if you want less traffic, you have to make it harder for them.

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Thanking You

Bijoy Franco
mob. 9447688254

BE THE CHANGE WE WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD

[Joseph Thomas]

This may be the reason why our city roads continue to be crowded.

Thomas

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2011/6/3 bijoy <bijoy....@gmail.com>

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                    സ്വാമി വിവേകാനന്ദന്‍

[Regi P George]

This study is not supporting the privatization of Roads and Public Transportation?
Not in support of the BOTs and Road Toll/Tax lobby?

regi

"Do not judge me by my actions;

Do not judge me from man's point of view"

"Judge me from God's - by the hidden purpose behind my actions.
Regi George wishing you Good Luck. Thanks

[Regi P George]

two comments from the blog!
regi

Streetsblog,

jackal, bald Collapse

As one of the comments suggested -- start building communities so that they are more user friendly.  In California, for example, suburbs have been, and are being built without the basics for food, shopping or entertainment, forcing everybody into cars since the nearest malls are 15 miles away.  One could bike there, but you would have to do that once a day to manage the groceries your car will carry in one trip that would serve you for a week.  Besides, 50%+ of Americans are so obese they couldn't ride a bike anyway.

saw Collapse

The "fundamental law of highway congestion" is just an example of the Jevons effect: "technological progress that increases the efficiency with which a resource is used tends to increase (rather than decrease) the rate of consumption of that resource."  Recycling, energy efficiency, building roads, etc, can only reduce consumption if coupled with user taxes like congestion pricing to counter the subsequent decrease in resource costs.