Transform : Traffic Congestion Is a Housing and Transit Problem, Not a Highway Problem - Streetsblog California

"One of the hardest aspects of transportation advocacy is that the solutions to transportation problems are often counterintuitive. Induced demand or induced travel is the best-known example of this: when you widen a highway, that encourages more people to drive on it, returning congestion to the original levels within a few years. But what we're missing is that traffic congestion isn't a problem that can ever be solved by building more or wider roads, because it's not a problem with the highway."

"The United States has spent decades and trillions of dollars prioritizing driving and car-centric infrastructure. As a result, there will always be more demand for driving at peak hours than there will be space on the roadway. Thankfully, there are better ways to reduce congestion, like building infill, affordable housing near jobs, schools, and transit hubs, plus adding bus, walking, and rolling options."

"Unfortunately, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In California, Caltrans is tasked with maintaining the highways and many state routes that wind through towns and cities, often serving as local roads and streets. This includes responding to problems on the roads, including backed-up traffic and slow travel times. For decades, Caltrans' only tool to solve congestion has been roadbuilding, so that's what it does - to the tune of $20 billion a year."

Widening highways increases driving and restores congestion to previous levels within years due to induced demand. Traffic congestion stems from demand patterns and land use, not solely from roadway capacity. Decades of prioritizing car-centric infrastructure have created persistent peak-hour demand that exceeds available road space. Caltrans continues to favor highway expansion and roadbuilding, spending heavily while state leaders support such projects. More effective congestion reduction strategies include building infill affordable housing near jobs, schools, and transit hubs and expanding public-transport, bus, walking, and rolling options to shift travel demand away from single-occupancy driving.

Read at Streetsblog