A: Actually, just the opposite will occur. The phenomena known as "induced traffic" or "induced travel" is confirmed by recent studies that show building or widening highways only serves to increase traffic, thereby negating the intention of improving congestion. Shortly after the new lanes are opened traffic will increase to 10 to 50% of the new roadway capacity as (not a big factor on 41) motorists decide to take more or longer trips or switch routes. This is short-term induced travel. In the longer term (three years or more), as the new roadway capacity stimulates more sprawl and motorists move farther from work and shopping, the total induced travel rises to 50 to 100% of the roadway's new capacity. This extra traffic clogs the "improved" roadway, as well as local roads that adjoin it.

As Roy Kienitz, recent Executive Director of Surface Transportation Policy Project and now Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s Deputy Chief of Staff, put it, "Widening roads to ease traffic congestion is ineffective and expensive at the same time. It's like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt."

More information on induced travel is available at the Sierra Club web site:
sierraclub.org/sprawl/transportation/seven.asp

And the Sierra Club has another article "Expansion Induces Traffic, Do Widened Roads Create Their Own Gridlock?"
sierraclub.org/sprawl/transportation/gridlock.asp

And the Sierra Club web site has links to other articles about induced travel at
sierraclub.org/sprawl/resources/links.asp

Assessing the Issue of Induced Travel: A Briefing on Evidence & Implications from the Literature, Prepared for Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments by Transtech Management, Inc. & Hagler Bailly, July 2001
secondcrossing.org/Assessing_Induced_Travel.htm

Do New Roads Cause Congestion? A report out of the Surface Transportation Policy Project gives a good overview of the issues. It is an analysis of a fifteen year study by the Texas Transportation Initiative, concluding that "metro areas that invested heavily in road capacity expansion fared no better in easing congestion than metro areas that did not. Trends in congestion show that areas that exhibited greater growth in lane capacity spent roughly $22 billion more on road construction than those that didn't, yet ended up with slightly higher congestion costs per person, wasted fuel, and travel delay."
transact.org/report.asp?id=64

An article from Sydney, Australia by EcoTransit "Breeding gridlock - 'induced traffic' - what it is and how it happens," by Michelle Zeibots explains the phenomena and illustrates what it does to local traffic systems.
ecotransit.org.au/publications/how/5/gridlock.php

Generated Traffic and Induced Travel, an article out of the Victoria Transport Policy Project.
vtpi.org/gentraf.pdf

The Transportation Alternatives Web Site has an article "More Roads = More Traffic, Induced Traffic Demand"
transalt.org/campaigns/sensible/traffic.html

An article in the Charlotte Observer, Do Widened Roads Create Their Own Gridlock?
i26group.org/inducedtraffic.html

The Cuyahoga Planning Commission recognizes "Induced or Generated Traffic"
planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/i71/trends10.htm

An article by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign "Feds Say They May Consider Induced Traffic"
tstc.org/bulletin/19970117/mtr11104.htm

Q: Can you explain the logic behind placing a bypass within the Borough of Avondale?

A: The proposed two-lane bypass utilizing Pomeroy Avenue in Avondale is actually a truck route designed for low speeds, probably 25 to 30 mph. It will be designed to the scale of a village street, and not as a high-speed limited-access highway. Pedestrian facilities and parking can be provided where needed, and the truck route will not eliminate or restrict any access points or driveways. Picture Kennett Square with four lanes of traffic split as State Street goes through town, although the Avondale design differs slightly in that it would be two-way traffic on each route, and through trucks would be required to take the Pomeroy Avenue route. This sort of treatment is being successfully used in other historic towns, for example, the city of Burlington, VT recently identified existing streets that met these criteria, and designated them as truck routes. The route and design guidelines will not require the removal of any buildings, except possibly for Pat's Cards and News Shop which structure could perhaps be relocated to a nearby lot, if desired by the community. The S.A.V.E. truck route consumes far less historic resources and land than any of the PennDOT alternatives, and it is misleading to suggest it will result in significant lost taxes or "put Avondale out of business." The plan for Avondale is similar to what many small towns have, which is a "truck route", which is on normal village streets, but avoids the most sensitive locations (Main Street, schools, dense residential areas, etc.) The less populated, more industrial/commercial nature of this route makes it reasonable for a truck route.

Bear in mind that the two-lane alternative plan is conceptual and all of its design details still need to be worked out through a comprehensive public process. The proposal for the alternate truck route has not had the benefit of review and input from the Citizen's Advisory Committee. This plan meets the needs of the traffic with far less impact to the environment and the community than PennDOT's four lane bypass proposals. These impacts include induced traffic, increased truck traffic, wetlands impacts, and air pollution. Any bypass or truck route will impose impacts to the immediate vicinity of the project, and our proposed route is no exception. However, with careful design and lots of input from the Avondale community, the impacts of this plan can be mitigated and minimized. A community based design process is essential, and should be carried out by Pennsylvania DOT.

A: No. In the past PennDOT has erroneously concluded that a two-lane alternative won’t meet the project "needs" because a two-lane alternative will not meet the highway Level of Service "C" criterion. In fact, nowhere in the Project Needs Analysis is it stated that there is a "need" for Level of Service C. The KCI/PennDOT Final Needs Study focuses on safety and operational deficiencies of the road that can be adequately addressed by rehabilitating Route 41. Installing modern roundabouts at major intersections provides adequate capacity to meet projected traffic volumes through 2027, while creating a safer road for all users.

Level of Service is a measure of the operating conditions of a road, highway or intersection, with letter grades A through F, with "A" representing free flow conditions on an empty highway, and "F" representing failure or gridlock. An LOS of "C" is used by the FHWA as a guideline for the construction of new highways in rural areas, consistent with recommendations in the AASHTO Green Book. Generally, LOS "D" or "E" is permitted by FHWA for highway construction projects in urban areas, including historic villages such as Avondale. However, the AASHTO Level of Service guideline is not appropriate for rehabilitation (3R) projects.

The two-lane plan includes a small bypass segment on new alignment around Avondale, which may be difficult to comply with AASHTO guidelines. In this case, FHWA can review this segment, which will be designed to be consistent with the remaining corridor, and grant an exception to the AASHTO guidelines, as allowed in cases where applying the guidelines is inappropriate or results in excessive environmental or community impacts. The "design exception" process is well-established and should be utilized in this case to balance "the constructed and natural environment, the environmental, scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and preservation impacts, and access to other modes of transportation (National Highway System Designation Bill, Title 23, Section 109(c)(1).

LOS measures for rural roads are based solely on being able to go at high speed at peak hours, which is not a goal shared by S.A.V.E. S.A.V.E. does not feel that measuring high speeds at peak hours is an appropriate measure of capacity and performance, nor the way to create a safer roadway.

A: S.A.V.E. is at the forefront of a growing movement where new approaches to transportation planning offer an alternative to traditional transportation "improvement projects" that lead to induced traffic and development, and are one of the root causes of sprawl. In the past, PennDOT has not effectively incorporated an analysis of causal effects of their road building projects or given much concern to induced effects, but S.A.V.E. is hopeful this may change with a new administration in Harrisburg that is committed to smart-growth initiatives in land use planning. By developing and promoting an innovative approach to a 20-mile roadway, S.A.V.E. is at the cutting edge of transportation planning philosophy. The S.A.V.E. plan could become a national model not only for the roadway itself, but for aiding a region's conservation and preservation efforts in radically new thinking for roadway improvement projects. There are other similar projects throughout the country that are in various stages of planning, design or construction that bolster the feasibility of S.A.V.E.'s two-lane alternative.

• The Petoskey Bypass Recently Cancelled by the Michigan DOT
  The project was scrubbed by state leadership part way through the EIS after receiving an alternative plan (called "Smart Roads: Petoskey"), and facing grass roots opposition.

• Route 50 in Virginia in a Design Phase
  After efforts by the community, through the Route 50 Corridor Coalition, an alternative plan to the VDOT plans to build a four lane highway has been developed. This is a very similar project, of approximately 20 miles in length, a major roadway that serves through traffic as well as tourists, farmers, and communities. The plans for Route 50 include traffic calming designs developed by the firms of Glatting Jackson Kercher and H.W. Lochner, Inc. to increase safety, enhance the historic villages along the roadway, improve traffic flow through use of modern roundabouts, and provide cohesive signage for the corridor. Route 50 was included in the TEA-21 bill as a model project, securing $13 million in TEA-21 funds and the required match was provided by the state of Virginia.

• New York Throughway Roundabout
  NY State recently converted an old-fashioned traffic circle into a modern roundabout in Kingston, NY on a major truck route and connection to the NY Thruway.

• US Route 4 in Vermont with Proposed Roundabouts
  Vermont has shelved four-lane widening plans in favor of rehabilitation, safety improvements, and a few proposed roundabouts. This project is early in the design stages, but the state AOT has agreed with this concept. This is an NHS (National Highway System) route in Vermont, with high truck traffic, and comparable volumes to Route 41.

• I-70/Vail Road Interchange Uses Roundabouts in Series
  Vail, Colorado installed a series of five roundabouts at the expressway interchange and entrance to the town.

• Vermont Route 9 Handles Trucks with Roundabouts
  The Brattleboro roundabout, which is Vermont Route 9 (also an NHS route with a lot of trucks), U.S. Route 5, and the interchange of I-91, is an excellent example of how well a roundabout can work serving trucks, as well as high volumes of traffic. There was a traffic signal at this intersection which had huge backups every day during peak hour. Now, with the roundabout, there are almost never any backups, yet more traffic flows through the intersection than before. The trucks rarely need to come to a full stop, so there is less noise.

• Revitalization of West Palm Beach
  Although a more urban setting, West Palm Beach recently undertook an extensive traffic-calming project that has served to catalyze downtown revitalization in this very decayed neighborhood. It has become a very desirable place to live and property values have escalated dramatically. The same firm used by S.A.V.E. to develop preliminary traffic calming concepts for Route 41, Glatting Jackson Kercher, was involved in the West Palm Beach project.

• Maryland Smart Growth priorities
  Under Governor Glendening, the state of Maryland cancelled a number of highway projects and re-focused them to be rehabilitation. Maryland changed their highway spending priorities to support smart growth. Maryland also canceled 5 bypass projects, as they realized that they would be contrary to smart growth. The two-lane plan for Route 41 fits right into these priorities (intersection improvements, landscaping, access management).

• New Hampshire Proposals for Roundabouts
  A citizen's group similar to S.A.V.E. in New Hampshire is battling bypass projects and countering with a very similar proposal of a series of roundabouts.

• Missoula, Montana
  A project in Missoula, Montana has selected a series of roundabouts as their preferred alternative. These are double lane roundabouts on a congested corridor – probably more similar to the US 202/309 situation than PA 41, but it shows that roundabouts are really gaining acceptance.

Dispelling the Myths About Modern Roundabouts

Click here for the answers to these Roundabout questions.

• Why is S.A.V.E. promoting the use of roundabouts when New Jersey has realized how stupid this concept is and is removing all of theirs?
  
• How do drivers that have never before encountered a roundabout learn how they function?
  
• How can I be sure that roundabouts will accommodate large trucks, emergency vehicles and farm equipment?
  
• Are there national or international standards for motorists encountering roundabouts, or will they be confusingly inconsistent wherever I go?
  
• Why do roundabouts need to be so big?
  
• Aren't traffic signals safer than roundabouts for pedestrians?
  
• Are roundabouts safe near schools?
  
• Are roundabouts appropriate everywhere?
  
• I drive a big truck, and that roundabout looks awfully tight. Will I fit?
  
• What should I do when I'm in a roundabout when an emergency vehicle arrives?
  
• How about riding a bicycle through a roundabout?
  
• What about snow removal at roundabouts?
  

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