The notion of shutting down all improvements due to fear of induced demand is ridiculous. Let's also stop building sewage systems because of induced demand and all defecate on the ground. It will reduce water use and be good for the environment by enriching the soil.
That’s not what I meant to imply. I was simply asking if removing humans from the driver’s seat and replacing them with autonomous vehicles that are hypothetically more convenient to take would actually increase the effective road capacity.
I’m not so sure it would actually solve the problem. I think a more effective and easier solution would be to design cities to be more accessible without cars. That way, traffic would likely be reduced due to fewer humans in the driver’s seats even if they continued commuting. To summarize, in order to achieve a greater road capacity, I think we should focus on replacing the method of commuting that requires taking the road altogether. Subbing it for another method that still uses the road will invoke induced demand.
