Induced Demand
Why Traffic Never Gets Better
Despite abundant research showing that roadway expansions provide limited congestion relief and increase long-term traffic problems, they still occur due to wishful thinking: advocates claim that “this” project is different.
Opinion: I-5 Expansion EIR Deludes Itself
The environmental impact report for a massive highway project in the Pacific Northwest ignores the reality of induced demand.
Study: Cost of Expanding Roads Outweighs Benefits
New research shows that the economic benefits of roadbuilding projects don’t come close to exceeding most projects’ costs.
Staten Island Road Widening Project Moves Forward
New York’s Department of Transportation plans to double the width of a Staten Island street to accommodate more vehicular traffic.
States Claim Highway Expansions Reduce Emissions
The argument is being used to channel climate funding to projects that expand automobile infrastructure, according to an analysis from Transportation for America.
Toll Lane Rebellion Fails to Materialize in Southern California
The 405 Express Lanes will open in Orange County later this year despite the warnings from a former Huntington Beach mayor of a resident-led rebellion in response to road pricing. But will the toll lanes mitigate congestion? Academics weigh in.
Utah DOT Plans to Expand Interstate Despite Local Concerns
With more evidence pointing to the futility of expanding freeways, the state could take a creative approach to improving travel times and providing additional transportation options.
I-95 Widening Breaks Ground in Virginia
A mile-and-a-half-long section of Interstate 95, which handles 80,000 vehicle trips a day, will be expanded in Virginia. The project includes a new shoulder, lighting, and noise walls.
Congestion Growing in Sunbelt Cities
Cities with rapidly growing populations and inadequate public transit systems are seeing more gridlock despite changes in commuting patterns and the rise of remote work.
A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.
Should We Continue to Ignore Induced Vehicle Travel Costs?
A recent Planetizen blog claims that urban highway expansions reduce traffic congestion and benefit everyone. That must be a joke! Most planners now recognize that such projects tend to be economically wasteful and contradict community goals.
Opinion: Induced Travel Demand Induces Media Attention
Induced demand is a popular concept among urbanists, but does its pervasiveness obscure the true costs of mobility?
El Paso Freeway Cap Linked to Road Expansion
A deck reconnecting neighborhoods divided by the interstate is part of a controversial freeway expansion proposal.
Induced Demand Be Damned: Missouri Governor Proposes I-70 Expansion
Highway widenings still attract support from both sides of the political aisle, despite the inadequacies of the approach in solving the problems it intends to solve.
Halted Interstate Expansion Could Proceed in Houston
Local and state officials have come to an ‘historic’ agreement that could move the stalled project forward.
Op-Ed: Michigan Needs a New Transportation Strategy
One writer calls on the state to stop expanding roads and channel funding to projects that support Michigan’s sustainability goals.
Disneyland Is Too Crowded. Is More Capacity Needed?
Disneyland has a plan to create more supply to meet contemporary demand, a strategy reminiscent of contemporary debates surrounding housing and transportation.
What Is Induced Demand?
“If you build it, they will come.”
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion
Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
