
Building bigger roads actually makes traffic worse - jseliger
https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffic-induced-demand/
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chrisbennet
_" You might think that increasing investment in public transit could ease
this mess. Many railway and bus projects are sold on this basis, with
politicians promising that traffic will decrease once ridership grows. But the
data showed that even in cities that expanded public transit, road congestion
stayed exactly the same. Add a new subway line and some drivers will switch to
transit. But new drivers replace them. It’s the same effect as adding a new
lane to the highway: congestion remains constant. (That’s not to say that
public transit doesn’t do good, it also allows more people to move around.
These projects just shouldn’t be hyped up as traffic decongestants, say Turner
and Duranton.)"_

Interesting!

Am I the only one who thought this would be something to do with Braess'
paradox?

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Finnucane
This is exactly what's happened here in Boston after the Big Dig was finished
--traffic is still bad. Now, there were some advantages--no one misses the
elevated southeast expressway--but the roads around here are often still
jammed.

A similar process happens with housing too--as more is made available, people
want more of it, which contributes to there never being enough, no matter how
much you build.

