Tighten belt to ease congestion
By Jordon Cooper, The Starphoenix
August 18, 2014 10:41 AM
The North Commuter Bridge is a done deal. It will be built and all four lanes will be there to get many of you to and from work in the north end. There is one thing that it won't do: relieve traffic congestion.
Both Mayor Don Atchison and Coun. Zach Jeffries are on the record as saying that it will do that. In numerous interviews since he campaigned on a new commuter bridge, Atchison has said that it will reduce congestion in the city, and instinctively it feels like it should. You have one congested road; adding more lanes or another route should make things better, shouldn't it?
It does in some instances, particularly long stretches of highways. Widening the Yellowhead from Saskatoon to Edmonton has made for a much nicer and safer stretch of road. Contrast that to the east side of the city where a combination of just two lanes, slow moving traffic, and reckless driving makes it a very dangerous drive.
Cities aren't highways and there is something that economists call the law of induced demand. It means that if you increase the supply of something, you want more of it. My local grocery store started carrying my favourite dessert after years of not having it. I had it before, but because it is there now, I get it. Roads are the same way. When you widen them, add a bridge, or extend a freeway, people drive on it because they can. [...]
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