The inability of many communities to provide adequate facilities has made traffic congestion a leading concern. The problem has been aggravated by a general pullback in federal and state funding. The question is asked by concerned communities What is the value of economic development if it results in more crowded roads and overworked facilities ? Even communities that support growth increasingly ask whether it pays for itself. The challenge is twofold: structuring more efficient development patterns and travel choices, and educating people to the reality that they can no longer live in low-density communities far from their jobs and expect their transportation needs to be met without congestion. Improving transportation is further complicated by the public's growing belief that one can do nothing to improve mobility except to question the value of growth. Because travel plays such an important role in daily living, virtually everyone has a perception of and a solution for the problem. Many of these perceptions, though based little on reality, have become entrenched, emerging as popular myths that even professionals find difficult to discredit. This booklet examines some of the most popular of these myths and offers facts in their stead in the hope that public debate can then be more sharply focused on the true problems and the most effective solutions available to communities. (A)
Abstract