Rethinking Traffic Congestion

Traffic congestion and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, trafficengineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for metropolitan transportationsystems are frequently criticized for failing to make a dent in congestion.But is traffic congestion a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box officesare seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently?I think we should recognize that traffic congestion is an inevitable by-product of vibrant,successful cities, and view the "congestion problem" in a different light.Conventional wisdom holds that traffic congestion exacts a terrible social and economic tollon society; expanding transportation capacity only makes things worse; and redesigning cities andexpanding alternative transportation modes offer the best long-term means for reducing trafficcongestion. Author Brian Taylor offers ten propositions that challenge these ideas and suggest how we mightbegin to think differently about traffic congestion.

Thanks to Chris Steins