TY  - JOUR
AU  - Duranton,Gilles
AU  - Turner,Matthew A.
TI  - The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion: Evidence from US cities
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 15376
PY  - 2009
Y2  - September 2009
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w15376
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w15376.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Gilles Duranton
Department of Economics
University of Toronto
150 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3G7
CANADA
E-Mail: gilles.duranton@utoronto.ca

Matthew Turner
Department of Economics
University of Toronto
150 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3G7
CANADA
Tel: 416/978-5110
E-Mail: mturner@chass.utoronto.ca
M3  - presented at "SI 2009 Environmental and Energy Economics", July 20-21, 2009
AB  - We investigate the relationship between interstate highways and highway vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) in US cities. We find that VKT increases proportionately to highways and identify three important sources for this extra VKT: an increase in driving by current residents; an increase in transportation intensive production activity; and an inflow of new residents. The provision of public transportation has no impact on VKT. We also estimate the aggregate city level demand for VKT and find it to be very elastic. We conclude that an increased provision of roads or public transit is unlikely to relieve congestion.
ER  -