Tony Dutzik
Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group
More Roads, More Traffic
The Failure of Road-Building to Alleviate Traffic Congestion in Maryland
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Despite spending millions of dollars to build 7,000 lane mile to its road network from 1985 to 2000, Maryland’s congestion problem continues to get worse. A major reason is generated traffic—the new, longer, or diverted trips that develop once highway capacity in an area is increased. Generated traffic reduces or negates the congestion-fighting benefits of highway expansion. Evidence from university studies of congestion patterns, government statistics on transportation and academic research shows that highway expansion is not an effective way to fight congestion. Maryland should shift its transportation strategy away from costly highway expansion projects and toward alternatives that can provide more transportation choices to residents.
Authors
Tony Dutzik
Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group
Tony Dutzik is associate director and senior policy analyst with Frontier Group. His research and ideas on climate, energy and transportation policy have helped shape public policy debates across the U.S., and have earned coverage in media outlets from the New York Times to National Public Radio. A former journalist, Tony lives and works in Boston.