Highway-Capacity Utilization and Investment in Transportation Corridors

Abstract

An example of highway-capacity utilization is considered in this paper. It has been observed that severe traffic conditions can exist on one freeway, while traffic on a parallel freeway may be moving almost at the speed limit. It is important to examine the possible causes of this phenomenon to avoid wasteful investments. The major objectives of this paper are, first, to examine the theoretical conditions under which the phenomenon can occur; second, to verify those conditions empirically; and, third, to suggest policies that will reduce the volume of traffic on the congested freeway by increasing the utilization of the other freeway. It is concluded that access and egress costs arising from travel on roads connecting the two main freeways have an important effect on the utilization of the freeways.