Are we thinking about traffic congestion wrong

We’ve been thinking about traffic all wrong. Sitting in congestion costs local economies billions in lost productivity, and governments invest heavily in easing the gridlock. But what if we’re solving the wrong problem? Associate Professor Victor Couture joins The Executive Summary to challenge conventional wisdom on city transportation networks — and explain why accessibility and density might be worth the slowdown.

Show notes

[0:00] Not only does sitting in traffic suck, it has an economic impact, which cities and governments try to blunt through traffic mitigation strategies.

[1:38] Meet Victor Couture, an expert on urban issues such as housing, gentrification and transportation.

[3:04] In 2023, Victor and colleagues released a paper benchmarking the fastest and slowest cities in the world.

[4:20] What makes a city fast versus slow?

[6:41] Flint, Michigan, in the U.S. earns the distinction as the world’s fastest city, but it’s not a blueprint for other cities to model.

[7:22] When it comes to moving people around a city, what is the ultimate goal of a city, and why isn’t it speed?

[8:38] What is the transportation network?

[9:07] What is accessibility in terms of transportation networks?

[10:46] When is speed via cars a good option?

[11:26] How does density affect productivity?

[11:40] Reducing congestion isn’t going to magically make a city more economically vibrant or affordable.

[12:12] Toronto is a case study for the density versus traffic speed debate. Victor’s research shows that the city is, on average, getting slower despite traffic mitigation strategies.

[13:32] So what about that tunnel under highway 401?

[14:41] Should the city rip out newly installed bike lanes?

[15:44] So what is the purpose of a trip?

[16:19] “For 1,000s of years, cities have been about bringing people into closer proximity. They've been about facilitating the flows of goods, the flows of people, the flows of ideas and the purpose of urban policy makers should be to facilitate those flows and create infrastructure and create institutions that let people realize those benefits of cities, that let people meet easily. That's the goal of a transportation network.”