OK, here’s the answer: Between 2005 and 2015, highway spending by all levels of government in the U.S. increased by 54% while vehicle travel increased by 3.3%. 1/
Now ask yourself: Why do we so often see comparisons of growth in transit spending and ridership (as in the WSJ story) and almost never comparisons of growth in highway spending and vehicle travel? 2/
Two reasons, I think: First, there is little critical evaluation of highway spending in the U.S., at least compared with transit. Perhaps that’s because we still operate under the misimpression that the gas tax covers the cost of roads. But it's strange. 3/
Second, and more importantly, we expect highway spending and transit spending to do different things. Highway proponents often don't WANT more people to use the widened highways. They want to reduce congestion. 4/
Which is why you get columns like this one from highway backers that argue - with zero evidence - that induced demand is not a thing. 5/ bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/1…
By contrast, transit investments are immediately judged to be failures if they DON'T induce significant ridership right from Day One. 6/
The idea of making transit investments on the basis of making the lives of existing transit users more convenient or more comfortable, or their travel more expedient, rarely comes into the conversation. 7/
Whereas, the justification for highway expansion is often *precisely* to make travel times faster and life more convenient for existing users of the highway. 8/
These are the frames that many of us – including many advocates – bring to our understanding and analysis of transportation issues. And they’re kind of inconsistent and absurd. 8/
Nearly as absurd as the expectation that increasing transit expenditures by 52% over a decade would lead to meaningful shift in travel behavior … even as we were increasing highway expenditures during the same period by 54%! 10/
Transportation reporters and advocates need to be careful of the assumptions and frames we accept as we talk about these issues. And it behooves all of us to take time to appreciate and understand the full picture. [end rant]
