I can believe that result, but that is only one element in the cost benfit calculation. Is the cost of the new way justified by the additional traffic and or prevention of increasing congetion costs on existing ways?
From the perspective of whether to expand, I agree that the overall benefit needs to be calculated. I think the Georgia DOT actually had a great opportunity - we're expanding the road, and to ensure maximum benefit from it, we will impose a higher charge (reflecting the true costs of road usage). In this way, you increase throughput for high value uses, while limiting slow downs.
I haven't read the studies so maybe these questions have been answered, but I'm curious if the congestion issue is only present at peak demand or affects other time periods as well, and if congestion is created in areas that did not have it before, or whether better route design is an acceptable alternative.
Good questions. In terms of congestion zones impacting non-congestion zone roads, it appears to be impacted by geography a bit. I believe in London other roads saw increase in usage, while in NYC, since Manhattan is an end-point rather than a pass-through road, road usage fell in congestion zone adjacent areas as well.
In terms of proper road design, for cities, we'd probably need city-wide charges to ensure that other roads don't get over-used. Also, in truly optimal scenario, pricing would be dynamic, but that might be a bit messy for users.
The answer, at least from growing up in Los Angeles, is there becomes a broader peak, until it affects all hours of the day, and creating more highways, and alternative routes, gradually fill to a critical mass over time as well.
I can believe that result, but that is only one element in the cost benfit calculation. Is the cost of the new way justified by the additional traffic and or prevention of increasing congetion costs on existing ways?
From the perspective of whether to expand, I agree that the overall benefit needs to be calculated. I think the Georgia DOT actually had a great opportunity - we're expanding the road, and to ensure maximum benefit from it, we will impose a higher charge (reflecting the true costs of road usage). In this way, you increase throughput for high value uses, while limiting slow downs.
I haven't read the studies so maybe these questions have been answered, but I'm curious if the congestion issue is only present at peak demand or affects other time periods as well, and if congestion is created in areas that did not have it before, or whether better route design is an acceptable alternative.
Good questions. In terms of congestion zones impacting non-congestion zone roads, it appears to be impacted by geography a bit. I believe in London other roads saw increase in usage, while in NYC, since Manhattan is an end-point rather than a pass-through road, road usage fell in congestion zone adjacent areas as well.
In terms of proper road design, for cities, we'd probably need city-wide charges to ensure that other roads don't get over-used. Also, in truly optimal scenario, pricing would be dynamic, but that might be a bit messy for users.
The answer, at least from growing up in Los Angeles, is there becomes a broader peak, until it affects all hours of the day, and creating more highways, and alternative routes, gradually fill to a critical mass over time as well.