Good news. according to todays’s Făclia, “busrides from Cluj to Floresti will be three times quicker.” Cosmin Puriș writes that a new dedicated bus lane will be added to the “over 3.5 kilometers” (over two miles) between “Vivo and Metro.” Where is Metro, you ask? Well, it will cost 23 million euros. Big prices are always quoted in Euros, not in Lei. But you pay in RON (Romanian new Lei.)
Anyway, cynics from the English speaking world (and Canada) might not believe more lanes will help. They’ll point out at in towns like London, Birmingham, or Phoenix, the more lanes they add, the more traffic there is. Writing for La Press, Mathieu Perreault describes the phenomenon in detail, which is called Traffic induit or induced traffic. It’s like adding more lanes invites more cars to the road. (If you’re wondering which Birmingham, I think both Birminghams had the same problem.) Even in areas where more cars where not sold, those with cars moved further out, which meant cars travelled longer distances, which meant more overall traffic and longer traffic jams.
Well, the Dutch speaking world might disagree. Improvements to the transport system in Holland and Belgium seem to have decreased traffic.
Of course, these improvements didn’t come alone, the Anglo Saxons may counter, they were accompanied by enforcement, legislation, economic factors, and social changes within the community. Many Belgians and Dutch no longer feel they need a car. Belgium and the Netherlands are flat, making bike transport relatively easy. The Dutch traffic police are very strict, enforcing rules that help encourage other forms of transportation. And if there are cracks in the Dutch system, who knows how long these changes will last?
Which path will Cluj take? The more lanes means more cars of the London model, or better transport choices means less car traffic, like in Utrecht? Well, it appears that Cluj’s new lanes are being dedicated to buses and bikes. This will encourage people to try other transport models in the place of cars.
We’ve met many drivers in Brussels who will take common transport when it is available and convenient, but who still have a car for longer journeys (like those to the airport or to other cities). When these people drive less, there is less traffic.
In England and the US, we sometimes find the opposite. We meet many people who would like to take the bus, but it doesn’t get anywhere at a convenient time.
(Or, perhaps they are ignorant of the other transport options, or afraid of them. Transport cowards may not always be as cowardly in other areas of life, but might need some encouragement to change. Here we need to look further into the Dutch model, and we see that there are still plenty of roads with cars in the Netherlands. Not everyone has switched over to bikes and buses.)
If people obey the new traffic rules, it should decrease overall traffic. Faster bus journeys means tired drivers can commute by mass transit, and leave the car at home most days.
Not everyone needs to change for it to work. But if a significant number of people do change their transportation habits, it can benefit everyone.
This might need some more enforcement to work, however. If cars use the bus lanes, then the advantage will be gone. Those who want to take the bus might be afraid it won’t be worth it. With better enforcement of traffic laws, however, this new investment should decrease overall traffic, and make road use more efficient for all road users.