A new report published by the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Research Center titled “Land Use and Traffic Congestion,” found that residents of some higher-density neighborhoods in the Phoenix metropolitan area drive substantially less than similar residents who live in lower-density and automobile-dependent suburban neighborhoods.
The study found that roadways in more compact, mixed and multimodal communities tend to be less congested. This is due to fewer vehicle trips, particularly for local errands, more travel by walking or the use of public transit, and because the more connected street networks offer more route options, so traffic is less concentrated on a few urban arterials.
ADOT’s report finds that compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development has significant transportation benefits for communities. And since most land use decisions happen at the local level.
ADOT’s entire report on land use and traffic congestion is available at http://www.azdot.gov/TPD/ATRC/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ618.pdf.
