Reducing roads can cause traffic to ‘Evaporate’ | Rapid Transition Alliance

In April 2019 a heavily-used bridge across the River Thames in London was closed indefinitely due to structural problems. Local media were full of alarm, warning about the likely traffic congestion that would result. But, curiously, several months later, the signs are that the opposite may be happening. Pollution levels in key nearby centres have gone down, a strong indication that fewer cars are on the roads. Could this be the latest sign of one of the best kept, and counter intuitive secrets in urban planning, that less road space doesn’t increase congestion but leads to a drop in vehicle numbers? In a world looking to quickly cut carbon emissions it’s an insight that could prove revolutionary.