On the 3rd Day the New I-64 Created Twice the Traffic
{green = added lanes, yellow = eastern project area, red = no changes}
"We have twice as many people using I-64 now than we did three years ago," said MoDOT I-64 Project Director Lesley Hoffarth. "Obviously everyone is trying out the new highway."
The quote is from a MODOT press release. It could be as Hoffarth, Forest Park Forever's new President, states, that "everyone is trying out the new highway." Traffic west of I-170 and east of Kingshighway are 95% and 110% respectively at their peak. And west of I-270 and east of Kingshighway have seen stopped traffic.
We'll only know in the coming days and weeks if it's true that people are "trying out the new highway", and it's difficult to imagine that volumes will remain twice pre-project levels, but I am betting that traffic counts will remain well above 2007 levels. Why? Traffic follows capacity. But capacity (by adding traffic lanes) was only added from Spoede Road to I-170. The first few days have seen the greatest increase in congestion beyond the project area, both east and west.
The problem with the new I-64 may be that the western most portion of the project added lanes, adding traffic while the eastern portion, from I-170 to Kingshighway did not add lanes and I-64 from Kingshighway to the downtown St. Louis remains the same as before the project, as does I-64 from Highway K to I-270 in West St. Louis County. I can almost hear the cries to add traffic lanes to areas with increased congestion.
Adding traffic lanes to a portion of this project was a mistake. The need for a new roadbed is understandable and the new interchanges are a much needed improvement. And yet traffic congestion has likely been worsened. According to MODOT motorist have not quite adjusted to the new highway and the presence of two left turn lanes at interchanges. According to Scripture God created the oceans, the dry land and vegetation on the third day. It may be an equal feat for MODOT to have doubled traffic.
Gentrification: "... welcome by some and feared and loathed by others, and even dreaded and welcomed at the same time by the same people." Lance Freeman's pursuit of this duality makes the book strong-he's willing to admit that gentrification is both a pleasure and a problem, rather than setting up camp on one side.
It's induced demand at work.
Honest question: Is "induced demand" a negative outcome and is it considered wasteful?
Roger I think the answer is that induced demand is neither positive or negative by itself. It must be evaluated in context of, in this case, the overall functionality of region-wide transportation network. That being said, induced demand is often cited as a major contributing factor to urban sprawl. I think there is likely no disagreement that there is a tremendous amount of unused and underused land close in to St. Louis. Clearly highway 40 needed to be rebuilt. The real question is did it really need the extra lanes on the western side of the project. The answer is probably no. Ultimately these types of projects must be looked at in the context of a long-term planning initiative for the entire region. I'm really not sure that was done.