Wrong Way: Go Back

A report by the State government’s own Victorian Competition and Efficiency commission on Making the Right Choices : Options for Managing Transport Congestion pointed out the peril of clearways as a solution to road congestion.  It said (at page 295):

The impacts that clearways have on congestion are not straightforward.  Clearways are often used to tackle congestion problems in inner areas where the latent demand for travel is likely to be strong. However, they may induce additional traffic movement, offsetting the short-term congestion alleviation benefits. An additional clearway may, therefore, not make a big difference to congestion, although it may be useful if driving on the additional traffic lanes has a higher social value than parking cars on them during peak hour.

The congestion-reduction benefits of clearways may diminish over time as traffic increases, whereas any residual effects on local traders are likely to be ongoing.

We agree.

Related posts:

1. Clearways? No way!