Using Congestion To Get People Out Of Their Cars

While many smart growth advocates embrace the idea of allowing congestion to worsen to encourage the public to drive less, a recent opinion column argues the strategy can only work if good alternatives to driving exist.

2 minute read

June 5, 2007, 9:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"How do we address our congestion problem? Well, if congestion is the result of too many cars and too few roads, the obvious approach is to increase the capacity of the road network and reduce the use of that network.

Historically, the [Atlanta] region's approach has largely focused on one side of congestion - road capacity. But adding new lanes of highway is becoming increasingly problematic. The revenue available from the federal government is expected to decline. State government revenue labors under a gas tax that has not been changed since 1971. And construction costs are increasing dramatically because of the increased value of right of way and the increase in the cost of concrete, asphalt and structural steel.

But increasingly the solution to congestion has to focus on the other side of congestion, i.e., reducing the number of miles driven. To have a significant effect on miles driven we have to make driving, particularly driving alone, less desirable and make the alternatives more appealing.

To encourage more people to use alternatives we could substantially increase the gas tax or charge a price for each mile driven, an option that Portland, Ore., is experimenting with.

This approach, however, will be effective only if there are good alternatives to driving alone."

Specifically, the author calls for investment in reliable public transit, bike lanes, and HOV lanes before the public embraces alternatives to driving.

Monday, June 4, 2007 in Atlanta Journal Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Close-up of Donald Shoup during interview.

Legendary Parking Guru Donald Shoup Dies at 86

Urbanists are mourning the loss of a dynamic voice for parking reform and walkable cities.

February 10, 2025 - StreetsBlog NYC

Amtrak train with downtown Seattle in background.

Amtrak Cascades Line Breaks Ridership Record

The route linking Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC served nearly one million riders in 2024.

February 2, 2025 - Daily Hive

Vacant interior of open plan office with large buildings and stacked wood planks on floor.

Over 71K Office-to-Apartment Units in the Pipeline for 2025

Adaptive reuse projects are continuing to bring thousands of new housing units onto the market as demand for office space remains low.

5 hours ago - RentCafé

Crane and construction on multi-story buildings in downtown Houston, Texas.

How Houston Can Be a Model for Housing Reform

The city builds more new housing than almost any other and has dramatically reduced homelessness, yet low-income families struggle to find affordable housing.

6 hours ago - Urban Edge

Small rural USPS post office in manufactured one-story grey building with American flag in front.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes

Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

7 hours ago - Cowboy State Daily