Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Traffic

The Science Is Clear: More Highways Equals More Traffic. Why Are DOTs Still Ignoring It?

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 21, 2017 | 2 Comments

Numerous studies have documented the phenomenon known as induced demand in transportation: Basically, if you build highway lanes, more drivers will come. And yet, transportation agencies rarely account for this effect when planning road projects.

Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images via Wikimedia Commons

No, Traffic Congestion Is Not “Self-Correcting”

By Charles Komanoff | Jun 7, 2017 | 38 Comments

Calling congestion "self-correcting" is a convenient way to steer the subject away from congestion pricing. The argument is that drivers can bail when congestion "gets bad enough." Problem solved -- without collective (governmental) action requiring political leadership. Let's unpack that.

When people can park anywhere with impunity, they will drive more and usurp space where parking is not allowed, like this block that's supposed to be a car-free play street. Photo: Doug Gordon

The High Cost of Giving Away More Parking Placards

By Charles Komanoff | May 17, 2017 | 22 Comments

The decision last week to grant tens of thousands of new parking placards to teachers and other school personnel is classic Bill de Blasio: a freebie that’s not really free.

If only installing modern subway signals made for a great photo-op, like dropping in on Second Avenue Subway construction. Photo: Flickr/NYS Governor's Office

When Will Cuomo Respond to the Distress Signals Coming From NYC’s Transit System?

By David Meyer | Mar 10, 2017 | 5 Comments

Congestion is growing and transit ridership is falling in NYC. But at a moment when transit desperately needs smart stewardship, the city's political leaders, especially Governor Andrew Cuomo, are nowhere to be found.

It’s Settled: Uber Is Making NYC Gridlock Worse

By Charles Komanoff | Feb 27, 2017 | 74 Comments

Uber, Lyft, and other app-based ride services are unequivocally worsening gridlock in the Manhattan core and also slowing down vehicular travel in northern Manhattan and the western parts of Queens and Brooklyn, according to a report released today by transportation analyst Bruce Schaller.

A Six-Point Plan to Cut Traffic

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 21, 2017 | No Comments

If we're going to create a safer transportation system, we're going to have to drive less, and a new study of travel and development patterns in Massachusetts sheds light on what can be done to cut down on traffic. Here are the six factors researchers identified that affect the amount people drive.

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