Concepts
Induced Demand
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The observed tendency for added road capacity to generate new vehicle trips, drawn from other routes, other times of day, other modes or trips not previously made at all, so that congestion on the widened road returns toward its earlier level over time. Widely cited in transport planning literature as a reason highway widening alone rarely delivers the lasting congestion relief it promises, though the size of the effect in any given case is debated among researchers.
Facts
Core ConcernAdded road capacity generating new traffic that erodes the congestion relief it was meant to provide. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Exemplified By
The congestion article invokes induced demand as the reason lane additions fail.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Induced Demand
Wikipedia: Traffic Congestion
WikipediaExemplified By: Traffic Congestion, Lead sectionQuote, Exemplified By: Traffic Congestion, Lead section
Drivers and driver-focused road planning departments commonly propose to alleviate congestion by adding another lane to the road; however, this is ineffective as increasing road capacity induces more demand for driving.
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