Traffic congestion is often at the center of mobility debates despite efforts to promote sustainable transportation. Since 2017, annual sales have been stabilized at around 80,000,000 vehicles. Since 2017, governments have been trying to increase mobility for citizens by focusing on a variety of measures, including building more roads, widening the existing ones, and encouraging people to use public transport, cycle, and walk.
What can we learn from the experiences of other cities that have tried to reduce traffic congestion?
Does increasing road space solve the problem of traffic congestion?
Congestion is the result of a demand for road space that exceeds the supply.
It may seem obvious to build new roads or add lanes to the existing ones. As cities expand, the streets they use should also grow. The wider and further roads will allow drivers to have more room, which in turn reduces traffic congestion and speeds up cars. Government officials use this argument to explain the importance of expensive and often new infrastructure projects.
It hasn’t worked out that way all the time. The reasons could be the long-term effects. “induced Demand” is used to describe the situation in which, as supply increases of a product, more of it is consumed. It is implied that the new roads create more traffic, which causes them to be congested again.
Why is this? After adding a new highway or widening an existing one, there is initially less traffic, and the trips are quicker. These improvements change people’s behavior. The route that drivers avoided in the past due to congestion is now considered an attractive option. Some people who used to use public transportation, bicycles, or other modes of transport may now switch to driving. Others may change the time they travel. Instead of traveling during off-peak hours to avoid congestion, some people will start traveling at peak times, increasing congestion. As more people use the highways, the initial time savings are diminished and disappear.
I-45, I-10, and US 90 in downtown Houston, Texas. Dhanix/Wikipedia, CC BY
This problem is illustrated by Katy Freeway, located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest highway in North America, with 26 lanes. The US$2.8 billion expansion project was completed by 2011. In the short time that followed, however, traffic actually worsened. City Observatory conducted a 2014 study and found that morning commute times had increased by 30 percent compared to 2011. Afternoon commute times were up by 55 percent.
Relocating and reducing road space
Eight of the ten cities that lost time due to traffic in 2018 are European. The age of the cities is a common factor that impacts congestion in Paris or London, Rome, Milan, or Barcelona. Some roads date back before cars were invented, which increases the complexity of road construction. Car-centric infrastructure is, in fact, at odds with the ancient street patterns and development patterns of walking, public transportation, and public transport.
Similarly, European cities are the most progressive in terms of reducing or relocating roads to accommodate other modes of transport. Zurich, for example, deliberately slowed down its road traffic to make it less popular. Paris, on the other hand, has adopted a policy that expands space for buses, bicycles, and pedestrians while decreasing the area previously dedicated exclusively to cars.
Look at the solutions in London.
London’s congestion battle continues.
In 2003, the city of London introduced a charge for congestion to discourage motorists from driving. The system is fairly straightforward: Vehicles entering the Congestion Charging Zone in central London between 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays are charged a daily flat fee of 11,50 pounds (13 euros). Several important achievements were made when combined with other initiatives.
In 2017, the traffic volume in the charging zones was 22% lower than a decade ago. Between 2002 and 2014, the number of private cars that entered inner-city London decreased by 39%. Parallel to this, there is a clear shift towards public transportation. In 2017, 45% of journey stages in London involved traveling by tram, underground, and rail. This is an increase of 10% compared to the early 2000s. Cycling also experienced significant growth in 2016, with 727,000 daily trips, a jump of 9% compared to 2015.
London has seen a positive trend in public transport and cycling since the early 2000s. Travel in London 11, 2018
London’s congestion fee is showing its age. The speed of traffic is slower and the journey time is longer. London is ranked 6th in the world in terms of time lost due to traffic.
Many factors have been involved. In 2012, Londoners drove 3.8 billion kilometers. By 2017, they had moved 4.8 billion. This is a 26 percent increase. Uber, a private-hire service, has seen a 75% increase in registrations from 2013 to 2017. The reduction of road space is another challenge. The decrease in road capacity is due to temporary construction works and the relocation of road space to improve facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and taxis.
London traffic congestion London Assembly
Londoners may be optimistic about the development of alternatives to driving, but improving driving experiences will be more difficult to achieve without a major rethinking of the current charging systems.
Two adjustments are being made that will hopefully improve the situation. Private-hire cars will no longer be exempted from the congestion charge when they travel in the zone at peak times. Ultra Low Emission Zone was also implemented for the same zone as the Congestion Charge Zone to improve the air quality. The vehicles that enter the zone without meeting exhaust emission standards must pay an additional 12.50 pounds. ULEZ’s positive effects will diminish over time as more electric cars are introduced to the roads.
Singapore: Inspiration for the Future
Singapore’s population density has increased dramatically over the past few decades. In 2017, it reached 8,000 residents per km2, a 75 percent increase compared to 1990. Despite this, Singapore continues to have less traffic congestion, and driving speeds are faster than those of many of its neighbors. Singapore authorities have taken a very innovative approach to managing road traffic and implemented aggressive anti-congestion measures.
The 1990s introduced a quota system to control car ownership. Certificates of Entitlement are awarded to the winning bidders. COE grants car owners and road users the right to own a vehicle. The cost of the COE is determined by supply and demand for cars. If demand is high, it could be more expensive than a car. This measure had some limitations. As long as people are paying so much for driving, many feel they should go as much as they can – causing traffic to worsen.
The Electronic Road Pricing system was implemented in 1998, and it was a breakthrough. The system works on a “pay-as-you-use” principle. ERP platforms with cameras and sensors are placed at the entry points of certain zones. Each car is equipped with an in-vehicle cash card. Drivers are charged differently depending on their time of day and how congested the roads are. They are forced to reconsider the time, route, and mode of transportation they choose.
