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Abstract:The study investigated the link between land use, travel behavior, and traffic congestion. Popular wisdom suggests that higher-density development patterns may be beneficial in reducing private vehicle dependency and use, which if true, could hold important implications for urban transportation planning and related goals such as congestion relief, air quality, and sustainability. However, an important consideration is whether more higher-density development also exacerbates traffic congestion on adjacent streets and roads simply because of its concentration of activity. Researchers performed a detailed analysis of the relationships between higher-density land use and traffic conditions in four Phoenix transportation corridors. The corridors included three older, high-density, mixed-used urban areas and a more contemporary suburban area with lower density but high traffic volumes. The analysis showed that the urban corridors had considerably less congestion despite densities that were many times higher than the suburban corridor. The reasons were traced to better mix of uses, particularly retail share, which led to shorter trips, more transit and nonmotorized travel, and fewer vehicle miles of travel (VMT). Also recognized was the importance of a secondary street grid in the three urban areas, which allows for better channeling of traffic and enables walking. Researchers developed a set of regression models to quantify the effects of key land use variables on household vehicle ownership and VMT, illustrating the mitigating effects of higher density, better mix, and better transit accessibility. Researchers also performed an extensive review of literature on transportation and land use interaction, and surveyed local officials to elicit information about familiarity with compact, mixed land use concepts; perceptions of impact on travel and traffic; and desirability of greater proliferation in Arizona’s metropolitan areas."
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