The Equity Implications of Highway Development and Expansion: Four Indicators

Highway development and expansion target peak period travel where congestion is more important. We show that investments in roadways made to reduce traffic congestion lead to inequitable benefits. This is because fewer low-income workers and low-income travelers travel by car and at peak times due to their job scheduling and activities. Also, travelled distances of low-income workers are generally shorter so that benefits of flow improvements are more modest. As such, congestion mitigation disproportionally advantages higher-income groups in terms of travel speed and time. While urban planning and environmental protection are important reasons to avoid roadway expansion, resulting inequities are rarely documented and considered.