Eli5: it’s said that creating larger highways doesn’t increase traffic flow because people who weren’t using it before will start. But isn’t that still a net gain?

Question

If people are being diverted from side streets to the highway because the highway is now wider, then that means side streets are cleared up. Not to mention the people who were taking side streets can now enjoy a quicker commute on the highway

In: Engineering

Answer 1

This is an economics question, not an engineering question.

Yes, the total capacity that can be handled by the road, increases. Thus, the total volume using the road also increases. This becomes good for businesses/organizations/etc . But because of that increased demand, some individual drivers may or may not actually get a less congested drive.