| Topic: | Re:Re: Richmond Park Could Be Traffic Free - What's Your View? | |
| Posted by: | Alex Greenbank | |
| Date/Time: | 19/06/19 09:53:00 |
| > The knock on effect of traffic displacement to surrounding areas would be phenomenally bad. Temporarily yes, but eventually it should settle back down to the standard level of congestion. When new roads are built (or existing roads widened) travel times initially drop but soon return to original levels due to "induced demand". ( https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/09/citylab-university-induced-demand/569455/ ). Essentially people who wouldn't drive before because it was too congested are now encouraged to drive and everything returns to an equilibrium (in terms of transit times). Likewise, when capacity is reduced there is an initial period where travel times increase hugely, but then they slowly return to original levels as those that can't put up with it any more, and are able to, seek other modes of transport or change their routines (leaving earlier, etc). Traffic, and subsequent pollution, along the main routes would return to similar levels and pollution overall would decrease. I know of a few people that have stopped their daily drive (and now prefer walking, the bus or a train) because of the Hammersmith Bridge closure. Before the closure one had a 30 minute journey that occasionally took an hour, after the closure it was consistently over an hour. They switched to the train and now they have a consistent 40 minute journey (very occasionally an hour if SWR is in failure mode) and can spend that time reading or just relaxing. Of course, the people that suffer the most are the people that have a genuine reason why they must drive (elderly, infirm, carrying tools, etc although the latter is less of a problem as commercial vehicles are banned from Richmond Park). But many people are simply wedded to their cars that they can't conceive of using public transport or getting somewhere under their own steam and will use any excuse possible for not doing so. It's the lazy and unwilling that make it difficult for those that have no choice. |