Replication data for: The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from US Cities

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Gilles Duranton; Matthew A. Turner

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Project Citation:

Duranton, Gilles, and Turner, Matthew A. Replication data for: The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from US Cities. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2011. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-11. https://doi.org/10.3886/E112463V1

Project Description

Summary: We investigate the effect of lane kilometers of roads on vehicle-kilometers traveled (VKT) in US cities. VKT increases proportionately to roadway lane kilometers for interstate highways and probably slightly less rapidly for other types of roads. The sources for this extra VKT are increases in driving by current residents, increases in commercial traffic, and migration. Increasing lane kilometers for one type of road diverts little traffic from other types of road. We find no evidence that the provision of public transportation affects VKT. We conclude that increased provision of roads or public transit is unlikely to relieve congestion. (JEL R41, R48)

Scope of Project

JEL Classification:
R41 Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
R48 Transportation Economics: Government Pricing and Policy

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V1 [2019-10-11]

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