Today we review a report from Phoenix that examines the links between congestion and land use and how the latter affects the former in terms of trip and mode selection. Some of the conclusions are surprising – that most congestion results from non work travel and that congestion of local roads comes from both through traffic and local trips. The 3D’s are the rule for compact urban communities: density, diversity and design.
Key Quotes:
“Intuition suggests that traffic volumes on a busy arterial roadway are associated with the type and density of activity built along that roadway…. Many factors are considered when deciding where to go to satisfy a particular trip purpose, although travel time and cost are frequently prominent in these decisions”
“travelers in suburban areas frequently use the freeways to make local trips, traveling only between one or two exits, or longer distance travelers use local roads to avoid congestion on higher class highways or as a shortcut”
“By reducing distances between households and activities, compact development improves accessibility by all modes of travel. Walking becomes more feasible, but also vehicle trip lengths are shortened by the existence of more local opportunities”
“87 percent of people planning to buy a home in the near future list a shorter commute as their top priority; that 57 percent of Hispanics and 78 percent of African Americans say they prefer walkable neighborhoods with shorter commutes”
“the biggest contributor to VMT is nonwork travel. More than 70 percent of the average household’s vehicle travel is for nonwork travel— shopping, personal business, school, children’s activities, and social/recreational activities.. Virtually none of these activities can be performed in suburban areas without a personal vehicle”
“High local traffic levels are also frequently linked to through traffic and an inadequate local street (grid) network to accommodate and channel that traffic”
“Design of a compact, mixed-use area is very important… an area has to be inviting for travel on foot or by bicycle. There must be activities worth walking to ..they must be clustered in a way that makes them conveniently co-located ..and they should face the street with limited setbacks, with parking either along the street or in peripheral lots, .. Walking should be made attractive and safe by a continuous sidewalk network, short blocks, frequent crossings, and buffering from traffic by trees or other barriers”
Related articles
- New evidence that smart growth may reduce local congestion as well as overall driving (switchboard.nrdc.org)
- Could Density Actually Reduce Traffic? (theatlanticcities.com)
- Gaming The System: Unsnarling Traffic With Carrots, Not Sticks (underpaidgenius.com)
- What are the Economics of Road Pricing and Congestion? (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)
- Rethinking the Economics of Traffic Congestion (theatlanticcities.com)
- Avoiding Rush Hour for a Cash Reward (parkingsigns.net)
- Do More Roads Have Less Traffic? (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
- Turning Urban Highways into Parks for People (pollutionfreecities.blogspot.com)
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