TRAFFIC: WHY IT'S GETTING WORSE, WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN DO

This paper discusses highway traffic congestion and gives some pointers on how to deal with it. Some of the topic headings listed include: the real problem, coping with the mobility problem, the principle of triple convergence, triple convergence and other proposals, how population growth can swamp transportation capacity, low-density settlements, and possible improvements. The following suggestions are listed under the category of possible improvements: (1) creation of high occupancy toll lanes, (2) more rapid response to traffic-blocking accidents and incidents, (3) construction of more roads in high growth areas, (4) installation of ramp metering; (5) utilization of intelligent transportation systems devices to speed up traffic flow; (6) creation of more high occupancy vehicle lanes; (7) adoption of "park cash-out" programs; (8) restriction of peripheral very low-density development; (9) construction of clusters of high-density housing near and around transit stops; (10) delegation of greater resources and power to regional transportation authorities and (11) increase of gasoline taxes.

• Record URL:
  http://www.brookings.org/comm/policybriefs/pb128.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Brookings Institution

  1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Downs, A
• Publication Date: 2004-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Dwellings; Fuel taxes; Gasoline; Governments; High occupancy toll lanes; High occupancy vehicle lanes; Highway traffic; Incident management; Intelligent transportation systems; Mobility; Parking; Public transit; Ramp metering; Regional development; Regional planning; Regional transportation; Residential areas; Road construction; Traffic congestion; Traffic crashes; Traffic flow; Transit centers; Transportation operations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cash out programs (Parking)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Terminals and Facilities; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00969375
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Policy Brief #128
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 9 2004 12:00AM