4 ms·

Most roads are built to accommodate existing traffic that can't be handled by existing roads.

• detaro 11y ago
  Of course, but no-one says that this results in fewer cars moving about. It only removes pressure locally.
  • msandford 11y ago
    The better the roads get, the further out people live. I call this the law of constant misery. People will move out of the city as far as a ~45 minute commute will allow them. This is a very common theme all across the world and time. It's quite literally the tragedy of the commons, nobody has any direct incentive not to move further out or drive all the way across town or whatever and we all suffer in traffic for it.
    • nitrogen 11y ago
      Maybe it's rising housing costs forcing them out instead?
      • msandford 11y ago
        I doubt it because it tracks the building of the roads very neatly, and second, if you own the house then there isn't a rising housing cost. I live in a post-car city where most of the city has been developed after cars existed and as a result it's mostly suburbs which tend to be owned rather than rented.
  • ant6n 11y ago
    But they do claim it will improve traffic. But in reality the induced traffic will offset the improvements due to the extra road space. Given all the negative externalities of extra driving today, building more roads seems less than helpful.