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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Is highway expansion effective at reducing traffic?

By Rose Johnson
NO

Research has shown that highway expansion “creates new demand for those lanes or roads”—a phenomenon known as induced demand. As a result, traffic congestion tends to remain about the same or worsen as more expansions encourage more people to begin driving.

In the 1960s, economist Anthony Downs created a new term for this: the law of peak-hour traffic congestion. It states that, “on urban commuter expressways, peak-hour traffic congestion rises to meet maximum capacity.” More recent studies have confirmed this law to varying degrees.

The Federal Highway Administration proposes other options for reducing traffic congestion. Among them: providing “street connectivity” or grade separations, adding high-occupancy vehicle lanes and adding capacity to other transit systems.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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