Mobility
Travel distance driven by speed, not income; road expansion alone cannot solve congestion
Rising travel distances are driven more by faster transport than by higher incomes or shifting car preferences, an analysis said. It argued that daily travel time per person stays broadly stable at about 1.1 hours, so higher speeds translate into longer distances. The piece cited France’s Paris-Lyon high-speed rail and post-war car adoption as examples. It said new roads cut congestion only temporarily as extra traffic fills capacity, and suggested dense city design as an alternative.
