World class transportation expert, Todd Litman at the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, has published a paper reviewing current and future policies aimed at reducing traffic congestion. He differentiates between conventional mobility-based planning which would widen roads as traffic volume increases to accessibility-based planning which has more effective approaches, such as congestion pricing and smart growth to optimize the use of roads in a safer and more efficient way.
Key Quotes:
“This report examines the methods used to evaluate traffic congestion costs and the benefits of various congestion reduction strategies”
“Conventional planning is mobility-based, which assumes that the goal is to maximize travel speed and affordability. But mobility is seldom an end in itself; the ultimate goal of most travel activity is accessibility (or just access), which refers to people’s ability to reach desired services and activities”
“More compact development tends to increase congestion intensity, and a more connected street system tends to reduce vehicle traffic speeds, but they also reduce travel distances and improve modal diversity, and so can reduce per capita congestion costs”
“Without some sort of rationing system, such as road tolls, expanded roadways tend to fill with traffic which consists mostly of lower-value trips worth less than the added roadway capacity. For example, society may spend 20¢ to save a minute of travel that users only value at 10¢. “
“Parking pricing has relatively modest implementation costs (since most cities already have parking meter systems) and tends to be concentrated in urban areas and so tends to be a relatively cost-effective congestion reduction strategy“
“Residents of smart growth communities tend to own fewer automobiles, drive less, rely more on alternative modes, and are more responsive to incentives than they would be in more automobile-oriented locations”
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