Details:

Creators:
Kruse, Jill
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Bicycling Closing Roads Economics Highway Capacity Public Transit Reduced Travel Road Building Road Construction Traffic Congestion Traffic Control Traffic Distribution Traffic Management Traffic Patterns Transportation Planning Travel Patterns Walking
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21949/1403562
Resource Type:
Proceedings
Geographical Coverage:
United States;Japan;Germany;United Kingdom
TRIS Online Accession Number:
00778490
NTL Classification:
NTL-PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLES-Bicycles;NTL-PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLES-Pedestrians;NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Construction and Maintenance;NTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Travel Demand;NTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Land Use;NTL-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLS-Congestion;NTL-OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC CONTROLS-Traffic Flow;
Abstract:
While induced travel has countered the notion that cities can build themselves out of congestion, reduced travel has emerged to further challenge the way local officials think about road building.

Flying in the face of conventional wisdom, new evidence shows that closing roads can eliminate traffic. A British study, released in March, 1998, is creating a buzz in transportation circles. The study found that closing roads actually cuts driving trips. The research team, led by Phil Goodwin of University College London, one of the Blair Government's key transport advisors analyzed 60 cases worldwide where roads were closed, or their ability to carry traffic was reduced. On average, researchers found that 25 percent of the traffic vanished when a road was closed. And in some cases, the researchers found that an astonishing 60 percent of the driving trips disappeared. The Question is, will it convince stalwart road supporters to curb the road building ferver and plan cities that serve its citizens?

Evidence of reduced travel has surfaced in the U.S., but it has been met with

skepticism, or ignored entirely. The main lessons from these studies, however,

lend support to any city that desires a healthy transportation system.

Accommodating a major change in traffic patterns like a road closure, the study

shows, appears to be the system's flesibility. Commuters in the British study

had a variety of travel options to choose from, including public transit,

walking, or working from home. This adaptability allowed for a smooth

transition, demonstrating that a balanced approach to transportation planning

not only better serves its citizens, but allows for improved traffic

management.

Many local officials have found that decreasing road capacity and expanding

options for public transit, walking, and biking are rejuvenating their cities.

New evidence from the UK supports these decisions, creating fresh opportunities

for traffic management. By demonstrating that road closures can eliminate

traffic and boost the economy, reduced travel further debunks the notion that

building more roads will solve traffic problems. And as cities around the world

wrestle with rising traffic congestion, evidence of reduced travel helps show

that a balanced, equitable system is the most effective solution.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:90a2f0170c61652a4f6c5bb895e839fb10dc9c8dc7201eeb56433a04ecd9942b
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12930/dot_12930_DS1.pdf
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