Is Induced Travel only associated with highway capacity improvements?
No. Improvements in any transportation system can lead to changes in travel behavior that will result in increased use of the system. A new bus route, rail transit line or commuter rail service is typically developed with the expressed purpose of “attracting new riders.” These new riders may come from other transit routes or former auto users, or they may represent entirely new trips to locations that have become accessible by transit. As auto trips are diverted to transit, traffic congestion on parallel highway facilities may lessen, at least temporarily. This reduction in highway traffic congestion may attract additional highway trips, similar to an increase in highway capacity. Increased traffic on a highway can also result from operational improvements that reduce delays on the facility, such as improved signal timing or incident management.
