Past GT essay - Some people think building more roads can reduce the traffic problems. What do you think of this solution?

It is irrefutable that the increasing traffic is a grave problem but I disagree that constructing more roads can reduce the traffic problems. Trying to cure traffic congestion by adding more capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt. Other measures are needed to solve this problem.

Not only is it futile to build more road capacity but it has been seen that building roads actually increases, not decreases, traffic congestion. Over the past 25 years, highway funding has been increased by 100 %, yet congestion has increased by 300%. It has become obvious that building more roads or enlarging existing roads does not reduce congestion.

One effective method to reduce traffic congestion is using public transportation. Since most car trips are by a single person driving alone, a bus substituted for driving can take 20, 30 or more cars off the road while a train has the potential to reduce congestion by hundreds of cars. A rail line can carry substantially more passengers using less physical space than a highway. Public transportation not only reduces congestion on the roads, but helps eliminate the necessity of building additional roads and benefits those who continue to travel by automobile, whether by choice or necessity.

Furthermore, there are many steps which people can take at the individual level to reduce congestion. Car-pooling is one such measure. If five people from one area have to go to the same office then each one can take his car per day. In addition, people can choose to walk or use bicycle for short distances.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that building more roads is not the solution for traffic congestion. It is essential that people use public transport and do car pooling to decrease the traffic on roads.