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Traffic Congestion
[edit]Public transit is perceived by the general populace as an effective method of combating traffic congestion. In a survey conducted by the city of Colorado Springs in 2011, 77 percent of respondents believed that congestion relief was a "Very or somewhat important" benefit from public transit.[1] These results were replicated in a 2012 survey conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2012, where 73 percent of respondents said that traffic congestion relief was a "Very or somewhat convincing" argument to expand funding to public transportation.[1] The Lane Transit District also found that the most popular rationale for supporting a 2012 expansion to its bus network was congestion relief.[1]
The actual relationship between traffic congestion and public transportation is much more complicated, with no established academic consensus on the issue. Several studies have found that public transportation has no substantial effect on traffic reduction,[2][3] whereas other studies have found a positive relationship between congestion reduction and public transportation investment.[4][5] One potential cause for the mixed results is the heterogeneity of the cities and their public transportation being analyzed. In a 2015 literature review conducted by Beaudoin et al, the researchers found that the type of transit and the city being analyzed impacted the conclusion reached.[6]
The largest factor limiting public transportations impact on traffic is induced demand, the phenomenon where increasing supply simultaneously increases consumption. In the context of traffic congestion, the concept of induced demand would suggest that any driver who opts for public transportation in place of automobiles would be replaced by another driver. This theory is supported by a 2018 study which found that "a 10% increase in transit capacity is associated with a 0.4% increase in auto travel."[7]
- ^ a b c "What Do Americans Think about Public Transit? A Review of U.S. Public Opinion Polling Survey Questions". Mineta Transportation Institute. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ Stanger, R. (2000). "Ten myths about US urban rail systems by Thomas Rubin, James Moore, and Shin Lee--a rejoinder". Transport Policy. 7 (4): 303–305.
- ^ Stopher, Peter R (2004-04-01). "Reducing road congestion: a reality check". Transport Policy. 11 (2): 117–131. doi:10.1016/j.tranpol.2003.09.002. ISSN 0967-070X.
- ^ Nelson, Peter; Baglino, Andrew; Harrington, Winston; Safirova, Elena; Lipman, Abram (2007-09-01). "Transit in Washington, DC: Current benefits and optimal level of provision". Journal of Urban Economics. Essays in Honor of Kenneth A. Small. 62 (2): 231–251. doi:10.1016/j.jue.2007.02.001. ISSN 0094-1190.
- ^ Baum-Snow, Nathaniel; Kahn, Matthew E. (2005). "Effects of Urban Rail Transit Expansions: Evidence from Sixteen Cities, 1970-2000". Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs. 2005 (1): 147–206. doi:10.1353/urb.2006.0001. ISSN 1533-4449.
- ^ Beaudoin, Justin; Farzin, Y. Hossein; Lin Lawell, C. -Y. Cynthia (2015-10-01). "Public transit investment and sustainable transportation: A review of studies of transit's impact on traffic congestion and air quality". Research in Transportation Economics. Sustainable Transportation. 52: 15–22. doi:10.1016/j.retrec.2015.10.004. ISSN 0739-8859.
- ^ Beaudoin, Justin; Lin Lawell, C. -Y. Cynthia (2018-03-01). "The effects of public transit supply on the demand for automobile travel". Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. 88: 447–467. doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2018.01.007. ISSN 0095-0696.