Why Expanding Roads Fails to Reduce Traffic Congestion

6 hours ago

Expanding roads does not reduce traffic congestion due to induced demand.
The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion states that peak-hour traffic rises to meet maximum capacity.
Research by Duranton and Turner (2011) shows a 1% increase in lane kilometers leads to a 1.03% increase in vehicle-kilometers traveled (VKT).
Sources of increased VKT include commercial traffic (20-30%), individual behavior (9-39%), and minimal impact from migration or traffic diversion.
Public transit expansion does not reduce VKT, as induced demand fills any freed road space.
Congestion pricing is the only proven solution to reduce traffic congestion by internalizing external costs.
New York City's congestion pricing has successfully reduced commute times and pollution.

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