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You only induce more traffic where there was already demand for it, or potential demand.

Build a fifty lane wide highway in the wilds of Montana and it will carry about as many cars as the current freeway.



Yes. Induced demand is real IMO, and necessarily restricted to transport, but it's entirely about pricing & value, not some fantasy of infinite demand.

We see induced demand in highways because the thing highways provide is valued (land for private vehicle operation), but the price charged is almost always far far less, usually zero. So just like a Starbucks that started to offer free coffee, the result is going to be long lines.

If housing was being offered below value, then you would surely see induced demand in housing. Imagine for instance if a govt program committed to offering apartments of unlimited size for $0/month. People would absolutely decide they need a 5000 sqft apartment instead of a 2000 sqft apartment, just as today they decide they need to drive to a store 10 miles away, instead of walking to one around the corner.


That’s closer to tragedy of the commons (though not exactly) than induced demand.




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